


In Need of Salvation

by teenage-mutant-ninja-AVENGER (imnotdoneyetap)



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angels, Cryofreeze (Marvel), F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Memory Loss, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Revenge, SHIELD, winter soldier - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-08-19 14:55:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8213177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotdoneyetap/pseuds/teenage-mutant-ninja-AVENGER
Summary: "His last memory was of her walking out. Her first memory was of him walking in."





	1. Remembering Her

        It wasn't anything new for Bucky to remember things. Most of it was nonsense Hydra drilled in. Others were about his life before the war. Some of it mattered, and some of it did not. Either way, Bucky wrote down every dream, every piece of memory, every name of his past targets down on a notebook. Over the long year, Bucky has filled about 10 journals with his memories and there were more still waiting to be filled.  
        Steve had found Bucky after a few months of Shield exposing the Hydra agents within and therefore exposing themselves. Bucky had saved Steve from the helicarrier but had disappeared right afterwards. His intentions wasn’t to hide from the one person he vaguely remembered. It was more about hiding the clutches from Hydra. As time went on, Bucky hid and remembered more and in the end, Steve found him before Hydra did. This is how Bucky ended up in Stark tower alongside the Avengers.   
        The Avengers had accepted him surprisingly well. Before he could be set free, Bucky had to go through psychological and physical tests to make sure he was indeed physically and mentally healthy. Having done that, training started and it was hard to miss the obvious experience he had. After a few weeks, Bucky grew comfortable with the Avengers and therefore was soon one initiated as one of them. The hunt for Hydra was bigger than before and with Bucky’s locked intel, everyone was ready for the hunt.   
        Any memory that Bucky deemed useful was researched, which ten out of ten times would end up being the team’s next hit. Hydra bases were found, infiltrated, and stripped clean of information. They found the Maximoff twins this way and gained two more allies in the fight against Hydra. After a year of attacking Hydra bases, the Avengers hit a lull. Bucky had no other ideas of Hydra bases and the Maximoff twins were too new to know of anything else than the base they had been found in. Tony put Jarvis to use but had yet to come up with anything. It had been two weeks and the team refused to believe that Hydra had really been fully exterminated.   
        It wasn’t strange for Bucky to remember things but lately it had been childhood nonsense... Until now.  
        Bucky didn't care how early in the morning it was or how everyone was dead asleep. He made Jarvis call everyone to the meeting room while he racked his brain for anymore information. When that became useless, Bucky asked Jarvis to search through Hydra's encrypted files for anything that could connect to this very vague memory, but that came up useless too. With nothing concrete to show, Bucky had no other choice but to enter the conference room empty handed.   
        "What's with the early call?" Tony asks annoyed as he rubbed his red shot eyes and tugged at his Iron-Man t-shirt. Tony looked up groggily and glared at the Winter Soldier. "Can't you see some of us need our beauty sleep?"   
        "Tony..." Steve calls out in the same tone of annoyance but directed to Stark instead of Bucky. "You know full well that Bucky wouldn't have called us together if it wasn't important."   
        Tony rolls his eyes but wasn't awake enough to continue with the argument. Bucky gave a thankful glance to Steve who nodded tiredly at him.   
        "Buck, what do you have for us?" Steve asks him.   
        "I remembered something." Bucky says unsurely.   
        "Clearly." Tony remarks.   
        "Shut up, Tony." Natasha groans out in her corner. "It's too early in the morning for me to bear your sarcasm so just cut it before I cut you."   
        "Daddy Barton, Natasha's being mean to me again." Tony whines out.   
        "Can you two please stop that?" Clint grits out. "I already deal with two kids at home. I don't need to deal with two kids at work either."   
        "Seriously guys, Bucky remembered something." Steve pipes in. "The least we can do is hear him out. Besides, I thought everyone was itching for a mission so the faster Bucky tells us what he knows, the faster we can plan an attack."   
        "This isn't an attack mission, Steve." Bucky states. "It's a rescue."   
        "A rescue?" Tony exclaims, suddenly awake.  
        "Yeah, a rescue." Bucky repeats his eyes closing tightly. "I only saw a fragment this time but it's enough, or I think it should be enough. I don't know..."   
        "Bucky, what did you see?" Bruce asks him, notebook open, ready for notes.   
        Bucky closes his eyes again, his mind struggling to pull back that memory that so desperately wanted to remain hidden. It hurt his head a little bit but not enough for him to stop.   
        "I was being dragged out of cryo, soldiers had to carry me out because I was too weak to walk." Bucky starts to explain to them. "Waking from cryo is the same as just waking up. Disoriented, groggy, not completely conscious..."   
        "So pretty much what everyone is feeling right now?" Tony interrupts.   
        "TONY!" everyone shouts at the same time, annoyed by the unnecessary comment.   
        "Continue, please Bucky." Bruce states, seeming to be the only person fully awake, and smart enough to take down this information.   
        "I saw her." Bucky states as his eyebrows furrowed.   
        "Her?" Steve asks surprised.   
        "She was just coming back from being wiped." Bucky states grimly. "We would pass each other every time I was taken out. I would be on my way to be cleared and she was just coming back. I went out on a mission and she was being put down to sleep."   
        "I thought you didn't remember much?" Natasha asks narrowing her eyes down at Bucky after his explanation was done.   
        "I didn't... I don't..." Bucky whispers. "She was always the first thing I saw out of cryo and the last thing on my mind when I was wiped."   
        The room became silent as Bucky said this. The topic of him being wiped was a very serious and grave matter that still hit everyone.   
        "Do you have any idea of who she is? What she looked like? Any possible mutations, powers, or skills that she possesses?" Bruce asked Bucky.  
        "No, I'm sorry." Bucky answers.    
        "She has brown hair, held a simple kind of beauty..." Pietro states, causing everyone to look at the twins in the back of the table, who had been quiet this whole time. "Her eyes always seemed... seemed... Wanda, what's the word?"   
        "Cold." Wanda tells them. "Her eyes were cold. Devoid of any emotion."   
        "You know who I'm talking about then?" Bucky asks slightly hopeful.   
        "Yes," Wanda answers for both of them. "But this shouldn't be a rescue mission, it should be an execution."  
        Wanda gets up from her seat and storms away from the conference room without another word. The room became silent once more, questions lingering in the air, and everyone shifted glances from Bucky to Pietro.   
        "Care to explain why your sister thinks we should kill this mysterious her than save her?" Natasha asks Pietro.  
        "The woman was the one who recruited me and Wanda." Pietro starts to tell them. "She was the one who convinced Hydra was the way we could get our revenge on Stark." Pietro glances over to Tony with an apologetic glance. "No offense."    
        "All's forgiven and forgotten." Tony waves off. Pietro nods at this and continues with his story.  
        "This mysterious woman was never seen again until Wanda and I received our powers." Pietro tells them. "We thought her an angel, a familiar face after all the cruelties we suffered with the Hydra scientists and handlers, but it ended up she was just like the rest of them. She was the one instructed to teach us control in our powers. She was the one who not only broke our bones for them to heal, but broke our minds for Hydra's brainwashing."  
        "Ok so she wasn't a good person," Tony remarks. "Neither was Winter over there, but he's been house trained."   
        "Tony..." Steve calls out.   
        "It's fine, Steve." Bucky tells him. "I'm used to this by now."    
        "See!" Tony exclaims. "House-trained."   
        "Look, this woman, whoever she is, she's quite dangerous." Pietro tells them. "Wanda can create illusions and enter a part of one's mind, but this woman... this woman can infiltrate all of it. The things she's made Wanda see causes my sister to still have nightmares."  
        "Sounds familiar," Clint comments, remembering his time spent being mind controlled by Loki, shivering at the memory.   
        "Any idea of a name?" Bruce asks Pietro.   
        "They only had one name for her." Pietro answers. "Ангел на тъмнината."   
        "Translation please." Tony states.  
        "Angel of Darkness." Bucky translates causing everyone to shiver unintentionally at the title given to the mysterious woman.   
        "Why didn't you tell us about her before, Maximoff?" Natasha asks Pietro.   
        "Because we believed her dead." Pietro answers. "After we saw the aggressive super soldiers being exterminated in cryo by Hydra's hand, we assumed she was too."   
        "From what you've told us, she seems too big of an asset for Hydra to kill." Steve states. "We'll start researching her more later today. I'll call Sam to help and maybe Clint or Natasha could go over to Jane's and get Thor to come in. For now, everyone get a few more hours of sleep before we're consumed by work."    
        Everyone starts to get up to leave before Bucky's question stops them in their tracks.   
        "So is this a rescue or execution mission?" Bucky asks concerned. Everyone looked to Steve for an answer. Steve didn't know how to respond. He noticed how Bucky was worried, rooting a seed of curiosity within Steve as to why Bucky wanted to save this mysterious woman that seemed more aligned than Hydra than her own self.   
        "We'll figure that out later, Buck." Steve sighs out.  
        "I would make up your mind soon," Bucky tells him quietly. "Something tells me she just got out of cryo.”

* * *

  
        "Get ready." he tells her, throwing the garment bag on the bed without any compassion. "We're due to make an appearance soon."   
        "I'm remembering things," she tells him. Her eyes staring at the dark wall in front of her, lost in her own mind to not notice her blank gaze. "I'm remembering..."   
        "As long as you're a good girl and do as I say, you can keep remembering things, ok?" the man tells her, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "If not, I'm sure we can make do and find a way to wipe you here. Is that understood?"  
        "Yes," the woman shakily answers.   
        "Good." the man says dropping her chin before tightening his tie. "We have a dinner to attend so make yourself presentable and make it quick."   
        The man leaves the room without another word and the woman sighs. She grabs the black garment bag and starts to unzip it. Her hand caresses the soft texture of the dress, pausing to admire the design. She could have simply wasted her day away admiring the black gown if it wasn't for the annoyed grunt from the man in the other room. She sighs again, takes the gown out of the bag, and starts to get ready.   
        She slowly unzips the zipper on her back and let's the dress drop to the ground. Her back was bare, but not devoid of scars. There were deep lacerations all around her soft skin. The woman didn't pay them any mind, having vague memories of how those got there. Instead, the woman focuses on extending her wings. The bones cracks from her spine, skin shifts away to make room, and out comes out black wings with silver tips.   
        The woman rolls her neck, letting her wings extend and stretch to their fullest potential. She lets out a sigh of contempt before closing her eyes and willing her wings back under her skin. She rolls her bare shoulders and picks up the gown from the garment bag and starts to put it on.  
        The woman then makes her way to her vanity and starts to style her hair in an elegant low bun. The make-up was light but the diamond earrings were not. She places the ruby ring on her finger and painted her lips a dark red to match. Last of all, she placed the silver necklace on and tucked away the silver cross under the dress' hemline.    
        "I'm ready to go darling," she calls out as she put on dark red stilettos. "Wouldn't want to miss your inauguration dinner as Hydra's new supreme leader."


	2. Finding Her

        Only a few of them were actually trying to find this mysterious woman. Steve and Natasha were going through all of the printed files while Tony looked through the encrypted ones online. Clint went on a house call to get Thor in on this while Bruce remained in the labs working since his forte was more in the science department than espionage.  
        The Maximoff twins were keeping their hands clean from this too, but their reason was more on the line of refusing to search for the Angel of Darkness. Unlike his sister though, Pietro would pop into the conference room every now and then to see if they found anything.  
        Bucky was helping in the only way he could; trying to remember something. He sat farther down the conference table, pen at hand, trying to come up with anything. The page in his notebook was still blank from last night. All Bucky could do was just stare at the page blankly trying to remember something that didn't want to be remembered.   
        They have been researching for hours now and had yet to find anything concrete. Hydra really wanted to keep this woman hidden from anyone and everything. Steve almost started to doubt Bucky's memory when Wanda suddenly bursts in, red wisps flashing around them. She doesn't say a word, but her expression said enough. Wanda throws a _Us Weekly_ magazine in the middle of the table and stands there in grim silence, arms crossed glaring at the strewn magazine.   
        "I didn't want to be a part of your search mission but I found your girl." Wanda grits out in her heavy accent. "You'll find her on the cover and then a complete article on page 32."  
        Steve didn't really understand what she was talking about until he grabbed the magazine and flipped it over. On the cover was the big eye-grabbing title of  _Sexiest Couple Alive?_  and below was a picture of a man holding the waist of a beautiful woman.  
        The couple fit together very well, their contrasting features seeming to somehow compliment each other. He was clearly sharp and ruthless, while the woman beside him was soft and gentle looking. Knowing that this was the woman that Pietro described so horribly seemed to make this woman more dangerous than he originally thought.   
        Steve flips to the article of the magazine and starts to read it out loud. He really didn't want to believe the gossip people put on these kind of things but it was the only source of information he's gotten all day.    
        " _Newly elected Senator[Alec Bane](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/36700000/Cole-Turner-image-cole-turner-36730906-500-300.gif) of New York_   _makes a startling debut with... newly engaged fiancee Angelique Porter."_ Steve reads out before putting down the magazine, a complex expression on his face. "I'm clearly missing something here."   
        "Not really," Natasha states as she picks up the magazine and leafs through it. "It's one of the most effective ways to protect yourself."  
        "What could you possibly mean by that?" Steve asks her confused.   
        "Come on, it's not that hard of a concept to understand." Natasha tells him. Her eyes look up to him and she realizes that the Captain was being as naive as always. She throws the magazine aside before sitting up in her chair, ready to explain. "If I wanted to prevent myself from being hunted down and killed, bagging a smart, rich, and powerful icon would be my way to do it."    
        "I'm still lost here." Steve comments.  
        Natasha sighs at this but tries again.   
        "She's obviously trying to pull a JFK and Jacky couple mirage." Natasha tells him. "Having the public love her makes it harder for anyone to get a hit on her. If someone killed her then the world would be on the hunt for her murderer."  
        "So we can't kill her?" Wanda asks.   
        "Not unless we want the public to think we're the villains." Natasha tells her.   
        Steve was still confused by this.   
        "Wait," he states. "Who's JFK and Jacky again?"   
        "Why do I even bother..." Natasha groans out before getting up from her seat and walking out of the room, Wanda following after her. Steve turns to Bucky who just sighed at him.  
        "JFK was our president in the 60's. He was assassinated." Bucky tells him. "Jacky was his wife and everyone was in love with the presidential couple."   
        "How do you know all of this?" Steve asks him.   
        "I've been doing some light reading..." Bucky answers as he finally picks up the magazine and looks at the image in the cover. He became completely still, his body and mind frozen in shock. The face on the magazine was exactly the one he remembered. She was smiling here, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her grasp on the Senator's arm was tight and her eyes seemed to beg for help. Bucky didn't know how long he was looking at the picture before Steve was right in front of him, looking at him in concern.  
        "Buck, are you alright?" Steve asks him.   
        "We have to help her, Steve." Bucky tells him, his hold on the magazine tightening. "We have to."   
        "From what Natasha said, she doesn't seem to be in need of saving." Steve tells him, patting his shoulder reassuringly.   
        "She's not the one using him for protecting, he's using her." Bucky grits out.  
        "What?"   
        "He's Hydra, Steve." Bucky states, slamming the magazine on the table, his finger pointing to the man's face. "Bane used to be one of our handlers."      
        Steve's eyes widen as he said this and alarm flashed over his face.   
        "We have to call a meeting... _now_."

* * *

  
        She was standing out on the balcony, watching the city below. They were in a room high enough that no one could see her. She let her wings extend and flapped them slowly. It's been a while since she's felt the breeze through her feathers, and it's been a while longer that she's been able to fly on her own. Ever since Shield collapsed, bringing Hydra down with them, she hadn't had as much freedom as she used to.  
        The freedom to fly had been the first thing they took away from her. When and where she could expose her wings was another. Any lingering touches on any person was reprimanded due to the information she could accidentally receive if she delved deeper. She was encaged in her small apartment with a large security detail keeping an eye on her. Any privacy she had was in the solitude of her room.  
        There was one advantage though. Ever since she had been rushed out of cryo and out into the real world, she hadn't been wiped. Over the past months away from this, she's been gaining pieces of her memory. They were all jigsaw pieces, and put together, none of it made sense. So she waited, in the loneliness of her room, to hear back from her handler.   
        "Put those ugly things away."   
        She was startled by her handler's sudden appearance, but without a word, quickly brought her wings in.  
        "You know you're not supposed to have those monstrosities out." Alec tells her. "Especially out in the open like this."   
        "I'm sorry," she apologizes to him. "I should have known better."   
        Alec just rolls his eyes at her. Her obedience had been swaying the past couple of days and her mind seemed to be somewhere else. Last night was evident that she wasn't all there and this concerned him. His plan for Hydra would fail if she wasn't by his side.   
        "We're on the cover, darling." she calls out to him, pointing at the glossy magazine. "They say quite a few things about us."   
        Alec doesn't respond and lights a cigarette instead.  
        "They say my name is Angelique Porter." she states. "Is that true?"   
        "You know full well that isn't true." Alec answers her. " _Things_ like you don't get names, you get branded instead."  
        "Branded?" she asked confused.   
        "Yes, sweetheart,  _branded._ " Alec tells her, letting out a puff of smoke. "You remember, don't you? Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver? Winter Soldier? _Angel of Darkness..._ "   
        She remained silent and Alec took that as a true obedient answer for yes. He puts out his cigarette on the cover of the magazine, burning her face completely off.  
        "You shouldn't read these kinds of things, sweetheart." Alec says pressing an uncaring kiss on her cheek. "It's all full of lies and gossip."   
        Alec leaves without waiting for her response. Not that it would have a made a difference. She remained once again alone in the balcony, something that she was now learning to enjoy. She preferred to be alone with her thoughts than accompanied with the presence of her handler.   
        "зимний солдат..." she whispers to herself. A vague memory of a handsome man, too weak to stand on his own, makes it's way into her mind. "Winter Soldier."   
  


* * *

  
        "The war isn't over as we thought it was," Steve starts off once everyone had made it into the conference room. Everyone was seated except for Steve, who was at the front leading the debriefing. Unlike him, Bucky remained hidden in the corner of the room, watching. "It has come to our attention that Senator Alec Bane is an undercover Hydra agent. Bucky remembers him being let go after some time which is why his name isn't anywhere on the files. Knowing this, and Alec being in the position that he is, makes it harder for us to take down."   
        "If he was "let go", how come he isn't dead?" Sam asks. "I thought that was how Hydra fired people?"  
        "It is," Steve answers. "Obviously, Bane found a way out with his head on his shoulders and we need to find out how. All we've found on Alec is on gossip magazines and newspaper articles. We need to dig deeper and we need to do it fast."   
        "Say no more, Cap." Tony states as he pulls up search engines. "I'll dig some dirt on your guy."   
        "As for legal and publicity wise, I think it'll be best if Clint and I start calling up some favors." Natasha pipes in. "Maybe even Rhodey can help bring down this Senator  _Alec Bane_?"   
        "Sounds good." Steve comments. "Now does anyone have a suggestion on how we'll extract Angelique safely?"   
        "How about we don't?" Wanda exclaims. "That woman is more trouble than she's worth. She'll kill us all."   
        "Wanda..." Pietro says, trying to calm his sister down.   
        "But it's the truth, Pietro!" Wanda shouts. "She tormented you."   
        "Wanda..." Pietro calls out to her again, concerned now.  
        "You trusted her, and she made you relive your darkest memory." Wanda states. "You were unresponsive for weeks!"  
        The room turns silent as she said this. Everyone's eyes were on Pietro who had now closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.  
        "Something tells me this go further than a simple betrayal..." Steve voices out.      
        "I fell in love with her..." Pietro confesses to them. Everyone was alarmed to hear this and Pietro quickly starts to explain to them. "It's not what you think. It wasn't what you people call  _Stockholm syndrome._ It was... it was genuine and real."   
        "Pietro, please." Wanda sighs out, trying to snap her brother out from the fantasy he had over the Angel.   
        "Wanda never believes me when I tell her," Pietro laughs out sadly. "But one day... one day, she seemed to have snapped out of the haze Hydra had her in. She realized what she was doing to us, what Hydra had made her do, and she... she started to cry. The Angel was weeping in front of me and whatever heart I had left at that time, I selflessly gave it to her."   
        There was a small pause as Pietro gathered his thoughts.  
        "She didn't love me back, of course, but she did care for me and my sister." Pietro states. "She promised to help us find a way out, but I didn't hear from her for the next few days. When she did return, all emotion she once regained was gone. I was punished by interfering with their asset and I was in a coma for weeks, relieving the death of my parents and the entrapment my sister and I endured shortly after."   
        The room fell back into a silence. The heavy news impacting them all. Everyone was now learning more about this Angel of Darkness and seem to find redeeming and demeaning qualities within her. It was hard to decide whether she was worth saving or not. They couldn't kill her, that was obvious now, but she couldn't be set free either.   
        "Knowing what you've been through with this woman, I'll understand if you can't answer these questions." Bruce says, breaking the silence in the room. "But Angelique's powers, how do they manifest? How does she use them?"   
        "With touch," Pietro answers softly. "She placed her hand on the nape of my neck and her eyes turned white. That's all I remember... I was in too much pain by her intrusion to mind to remember much else."  
        "I'm not interested in having my mind infiltrated again," Clint states through the speakerphone. "I'm sorry, but I'm out."   
        "I never wanted to be in this mission from the first place," Wanda seconds.   
        "There's still someone in need of help in there," Pietro tells them. "I saw her, a vulnerable creature, in need of saving. We must do everything we can to rescue her."  
        "I agree," Bucky pipes in from his lonely corner. "She's clearly being manipulated by Hydra the same way I was. We need to get her out."   
        "There's a charity ball coming up later on this weekend," Tony says pulling up the event onto the projection screen. "The Senator has RSVP'd that he's attending."   
        "Perfect," Bucky says pushing off from the wall. "We'll infiltrate the event, take out Alec, and save Angelique."   
        "Wow there, Bucky." Steve says as he blocked Bucky from leaving the room. "That's a rushed plan and we can't simply take out Alec without interrogating him about further Hydra cells. Besides, we're still not sure if Angelique is with Hydra or not."   
        "She's not with them."   
        "How do you know?" Steve asks Bucky seriously. Bucky attempts to leave again, a scowl set on his face, but Steve grabs onto his arm and forces him to stay. "What's wrong, Buck? We used to tell each other everything."  
        "Yeah, we _used_ to." Bucky replies, pulling his arm back from Steve and walking out of the room.   
        Steve stared off after him, shocked as to what happened. He was ready to go after his friend before Sam stopped him from doing so.   
        "I think he wants to be alone," Sam tells Steve, not knowing what else to say to him. "He's not the same person, Steve. Give him time."


	3. Remembering Him

        Steve was seated alone in the conference room. Everyone had left once Bucky made his exit. The mood in the room had shifted and everyone needed some space and time to think about their situation. It was a mutual agreement that Alec Bane had to be taken down discreetly. As for Angelique, it was still hard to come up with some sort of plan. Perhaps Bucky's plan wasn't entirely wrong, Steve thought. Maybe if someone got to Angelique, quickly made an evaluation on her, they could decide whether she was worth bringing over or not.   
        These thoughts were swirling around in his mind. Scenarios, upsides/downsides, pros and cons... nothing was helping him at all. The clearing of Sam's throat was what relieved Steve from his never ending failures of strategies.  
        "Whatcha doing old man?" Sam asks, leaning on the doorway. "Meeting was over an hour ago. What are you still doing here?"   
        "I'm just thinking." Steve sighs out as he sat back in his chair.   
        "Want to tell me what you've been thinking?" Sam asks, walking up to him and sitting down in the chair beside him.   
        "Not really," Steve answers. "I haven't gotten anywhere for this Angelique extraction."   
        "You know how the team feels about her." Sam answers. "50/50 in whether she's incarcerated or rehabilitated. It's up to you to tip the tipping scale. So what side are you leaning towards to?"  
        "I don't know..." Steve sighs out. "If she's being under the same conditions as Bucky then we have to save  
her, but if she's still working with Hydra, with the powers that she has, maybe it's better to lock her up."   
        "I know that's not your real reasonings for this Rogers," Sam responds. "This has more to do with Bucky than you're letting on."   
        "Wilson, the hell you're talking about?" Steve asks.   
        "You know what." Sam answers. "Bucky was your best friend in the 40's and you blamed yourself for his death for the longest of times. Now he's back, memory slowly returning, and you expect things to go back to the way they were. It's not, Steve. I'm sorry, but it's not."   
        "Don't you think I know that?" Steve exclaims. "But... I just assumed he still trusted me to confide in me. He talks to me, but I know he's always hiding something from me."  
        "Bucky can relate to you when it comes to lack of experience with technology or 40's culture, but when it comes to being put in cryo-freeze, being used as a weapon, being the public enemy... who can he turn to?"   
        "Me." Steve answers. "He can turn to me."   
        "You? Captain America? The Golden Boy of the United States?" Sam asks him. Steve looks down as he hears this and Sam chuckles a little. "Even I feel intimidated by you sometimes and I'm a good guy, imagine what Barnes feels when he's standing next to you."  
        Steve remained quiet, staring off at the wall pensively. Sam was right and it was over a simple fact that Steve and Bucky were no longer from the same world like they used to be.   
        "Look, I'll do whatever my Captain orders me to do, but I think bringing Angelique in would be the best choice." Sam tells Steve. "We'll free her from Hydra's control and Barnes will help her rehabilitate. She'll have someone to talk to about her experiences and Barnes will to. It's a win-win situation."  
        Sam pats Steve on the shoulder before standing up.   
        "And that is my two cents." Sam says as he makes his way out of the conference room. "The decision is now up to you."   
  


* * *

  
        She tossed and turned in bed that coming night. Sleep was not easy for her and the dreams were not as gentle. The soldier was the center of them all. The cold lifeless eyes staring deep into her soul. That wasn't what made her afraid though, it was the fact that she was staring at him in the exact same way. She didn't know where she was until a flash of color exploded in the scene.  
        A violin was playing sharply around them and in a quick motion she was dancing a tango with the man in front of her. He easily led her through the dance floor, sharp turns and quick spins. The dress was tight on her but the skirt snapped around her legs. The soldier danced with ease and dipped her. His body was tightly pressed against her and she felt something exploding in her chest. He seemed to feel it too and their lifeless eyes seemed to snap out of their lifeless haze.   
        "Soldat!" she shouted as she abruptly sat up on her bed. Her heart was beating rapidly and her mind was slowly unraveling the dream she just had. She pulled the sheet up to her chin and took a deep breath. "Soldat..."  
        Her mind remembered his clear eyes, the sharpness of his jaw, and the strength in his arms. She recalled his silent nature, his obedient mind, and the cool feel of his metal hand on her skin. Something in her mind whispered that she knew more of him, more than what he showed in the surface. She couldn't help but wish to know more about him but asking Alec was out of the question. He would use this against her in some way. She was learning this as she spent time with him.  
        No, she couldn't ask Alec for more information. She had an idea as to how to get what she wanted but it was quite dangerous. If she was caught the punishment would be what Alec has been threatening with ever since she was released from cryo; the threat of being wiped clean.  
        If she did decide to do this, she would have to do it discreetly and create an allusion to make them forget what she's done. The complicated part would be getting close enough to one of her guards to do this, but they all travelled in pairs for maximum security for her and against her. She racked her brain for other ways to find a new resource until she remembered the gala that was coming up this weekend. Her security detail remained out of the way and Alec was forced in a position to be nice to her. This allowed her the freedom to move around and have a pick as to who she could drain the information from.   
        She looked at the alarm clock beside her and noticed that it was too late to go back to sleep. The sun would rise any minute and soon thereafter her handler would come pay a visit with threatening warnings dripping from his tongue. She decided it was best to get an early start to a long boring day of solitude. She placed her robe around herself and made her way outside to the balcony.  
        The sun slowly started to peak out of the horizon. The dark blackness of the night slowly fading into beautiful shades of blues, oranges, and pink. The stars disappeared and in their place clouds started to make their way in. She closed her eyes and could distantly hear the traffic growing below her. Just like the sun, life was waking up below her. She couldn't help but wish that she could wake up too from this dreadful nightmare she was living in.   
  


* * *

  
        The gym was filled with the echoes of punches hitting the bag. Some of it were soft thuds while others were loud. Steve didn't have to even look to know that it was Bucky working out this early in the morning. Not because this was what Bucky tended to do every morning, but because the simple sound of his metal arm hitting the bag was proof enough. Steve slowly made his way across the matts on the floor and stopped in front of Bucky and the punching bag.   
        Bucky noticed him as soon as he stepped into the room, he just chose to ignore him. His tired breaths filled the silence between them before the sound of a tear replaced it instead. Bucky's metal fist had gone through the punching bag and sand was now pouring out onto the floor. Bucky sighed as he pulled his arm out of the bag. The only thing between them had been punched through and now there was no other choice but for Bucky to talk to Steve.   
        "Before you stalk off to the privacy of your room, I just have one question to ask you." Steve tells him as Bucky met his stare. Bucky simply nodded for Steve to continue. Steve licked his dry lips and took a deep breath. "Is she worth saving?"   
        "Steve..." Bucky sighs out.   
        "I'm serious Buck," Steve interrupts him before Bucky could respond further. "Pietro has given us many reasons as to why we should and should not save Angelique. I want to hear your side of the story. What does she have to do with you, Bucky? Did you... did you fall in love with her too?"   
        "Hydra isn't a place that allowed romantic relationships with your working colleagues, especially if you're their two favorite assets." Bucky answers. "And you heard what Pietro said, there's severe punishments if you disobey their rules."  
        "That didn't answer my question." Steve states. "Did you or did you not love her?"  
        Bucky looks away from Steve and lets out a heavy breath.   
        "I don't know, Steve." Bucky confesses to him. "But I feel drawn to her. My mind keeps wanting to remember more about her but comes up blank."   
        "So all you remember is her being led to cryo?" Steve asks him.   
        "No..." Bucky whispers ignoring the questioning look from Steve. "I remember her in this tight red dress but that's all I can recall."   
        "That sounds like there's more to it." Steve says concerned. "You sure you don't remember anything else?"  
        "Why does it matter to you to know that I cared about her, Steve?" Bucky asks him. "I don't know if I did. I don't know if we ever spoke to each other or saw each other somewhere other than the hallway leading to the cryo chamber. I don't know if I loved her. I just don't know, Steve."   
        "Calm down, Buck." Steve tells him quietly. "Didn't mean for you to get worked up. I'm just worried about what would possibly happen if she were to be brought in."   
        Bucky doesn't respond and instead starts to pack his gym bag, ready to leave this discussion behind him. Steve sighs as he sees this and tries to mend things.   
        "Look, I'm just trying to prepare for any possible outcome." Steve tells him. "It's obvious Pietro holds some sentiment for Angelique, I had to check if you did too. I wouldn't want some love triangle creating tension here and the team picking sides as to who should be with who. I'm looking out for you and everyone else."  
        "I haven't healed from Hydra, Steve." Bucky responds as he looks up at his friend. "I'm not in the right state to start something up and neither is she."   
        "Good to know," Steve states. "Now that that's settled, I think my decision has been made."   
        Bucky quirks his brow questioningly and Steve smiled softly at him.   
        "Let's go save your cryo girl, Barnes."


	4. Finding Him

        The room seemed to shimmer in gold. It was almost blinding to her as she scanned the room of diplomats and other influential people. Alec had a very tight grip on her arm as he led her through the crowd. Many greeted them with smiles and gentle nods as they passed through. Only a few of them knew the extent of power Alec had and those were the ones that came up to speak to him. They knew that the woman hooked in his arm was a powerful asset to their cause and they admired her silent nature.   
        "You look beautiful, Angelique." one of the suited man complimented her. She placed a fake smile on her face and nodded thankfully to him.   
        "Quiet one, isn't she?" someone else asked in the group.   
        "Does she even know how to speak?"   
        "Does wiping have that big of an effect on one's mind?" A doctor asked. "If so, perhaps you should bring her for a check-up Mr. Bane?"   
        The conversation flourished with a lot of questions like this. Alec answered them all quickly, gracefully, and politely. He knew they were trying to make an impression on him, but it was these weak-minded attempts that made him want to wipe these agents out of the way.   
        "Let me get you a refill on your drink, darling." she spoke up for the first time in the conversation. Alec was slightly surprised to hear her voice when she was instructed not to speak at all. Yet the acknowledgment that she could indeed speak did stop the questions all of these men had about her silent nature. Not only did she manage to do that, but she showed that she was mentally capable of being obedient to his needs as well.   
        "That would be great, thank you." Alec says as he hands his empty glass to her. "Scotch on the rocks."  
        She smiled up at him, excused herself from the group, and disappeared in the crowd. She made her way towards the open bar, waiting for the bartender to take her order. As she waited, she scanned the room in search of a target; a Hydra operative that has broken off from the initial group and was vulnerable enough for her to infiltrate. One seemed to catch her eye and right as she was about to make her way towards him, someone blocked her way.   
        "What does he think he's doing?" Steve asks through the earpiece. He watched as Bucky abandoned his post and made his way to the bar. This was clearly not a time for a drink and Steve soon realized that wasn't what Bucky had intended. No, his focus was on the woman with the maroon gown that was waiting by the bar which alarmed Steve more.   
        "Buck, this isn't a part of the plan." Steve tells him through his earpiece. "Natasha's supposed to go in, not you."   
        "It's too late, Steve." Natasha answers as she walks up to stand beside him. She was just about to make her way towards Angelique until Barnes had beaten her to it. "Bucky's gone rogue, but the plan can still work. It's up to him now to give us the sign."  
        Steve turned to Bucky in concern as he watched him place a gloved hand on her waist, leading her away from the crowded bar. Steve didn't know what he was up to, but could only hope that Bucky wouldn't let his emotions take over the mission. He watched them get lost through the crowd and knew it was up to Tony for the rest.   
        "May I have a dance?"   
        "I'm sorry, my fiancé..." she starts to say before her eyes looked up to find a clear blue. Her mind went blank, mouth slacked open, with only one word slipping off her tongue. "Soldat..."   
        "You remember me?" he asked her, his expression softening.  
        "Bits and pieces, I... what are you doing here?" she asks him.   
        "Let's dance and I'll answer your question." Bucky tells her as he places a hand on her waist and starts to lead her away.   
        It only took a glance at his set scowl that allowed them to pass through the crowd with ease. No one dared to look over at them again due to the high intensity of Bucky's glare. Once they made it past the crowd they were forced out into the open of the dance floor. Bucky offers up his hand to her and she takes it lightly. She looked up at him and  _really_ looked at him.   
        His jaw was nice and clean, recently shaved. She could smell the aftershave and his light cologne, an intoxicating smell that drew her in. His long hair was gelled back, revealing his full face. The Winter Soldat was as handsome as she remembered, even more so now that he was here in front of her. The Soldier's eyes snap down towards her and she bashfully looks away, she scans the people around them, instincts kicking in as she looked for her handler and the others.   
        "What do you remember about me?" Bucky asks her as he led the waltz.   
        "You're the Winter Soldat." she answers to him. "We danced at some point."   
        "That's all?"   
        "Yes," she tells him. "Do you remember that?"   
        "I remember the red dress," Bucky confesses to her. "But not the dancing. I do remember seeing you after I got out of cryo."   
        "I don't recall that," she says glancing down, her brows creasing tightly.   
        "Don't worry," Bucky reassures her. "The memories will come back. It just takes time."   
        She remained quiet as she absorbed this information. She had a lot of questions to ask him but this one slipped out first.   
        "What are you doing here?" she asks him, concerned laced in her voice. "If Alec and the others find you here, they will take you back."   
        "Others?" Bucky asks her. "How many other Hydra agents are there?"   
        "What are you planning to do Soldat?" she asks him worried. "This isn't the right place for a war. Innocents are here."  
        "We're not looking for a fight," Bucky tells her. "We're looking for you."   
        "What?" she asks him confused. "We?"   
        "Look I just need to know one thing from you." Bucky says as he notices the multiple glances their way, suspicion growing from what he believed were the recently mentioned Hydra operatives. "Are you with Hydra by choice or by force?"  
        "I..." she stutters out, unsure of how to answer.   
        "We're running out of time." Bucky warns her as he sees suited men start making their way towards them. "They know who I am."   
        "They'll wipe you if they catch you, Soldat." She warns him. "Please go before they corner you."   
        The lights in the whole ballroom shut down. All the gold was gone and darkness encompassed the room. A few screams erupt in the air and people started to push and shove them around.   
        "Come with me," the Soldier tells her, clutching her hand tightly. "Hydra doesn't own us anymore."   
        She wanted to trust him, but how could she know if the Soldat was any better than Alec? He was the main asset for Hydra, how could she know if he was really out of their system?  
        The lights were out, she couldn't see if he meant it or not. All she could feel was the tugging of his hand, the hum of his heartbeat pulsing on his fingertips, the desperate plea vibrating in his veins. She didn't have to see him to know he was sincere in the need to get her out, whether it was for good intentions or not, she didn't care and so she squeezed his hand.   
        "Get me out of here please." she pleads to him.   
        Bucky didn't have to hear more before he pressed the earpiece in his ear on, turning on the gps chip, alerting the rest of the team that he was on his way out. He tightened his hold on Angelique and started to lead her through the moving crowd. He makes his way towards a hallway in which Steve and Natasha cleared for their exit. They were making good time until Angelique was being pulled back from him.   
        "Soldat!" she shouts, fear in her voice. Bucky didn't want to let go of her hand but knew he had too if he was going to have a chance against the guards that were filling into the hallway. He had a decision to make and he makes it.   
        Bucky swings around and punches the guard in the jaw. His vibranium arm vibrates with the contact and the guard is instantly knocked out. Bucky pulls Angelique towards him and pushes her behind him.   
        "Follow this hallway and then turn to the right. Take the stairs to the garage and my friends will meet you there." She was hesitant to go and Bucky noticed. "Just go! I'll be fine."   
        She spares a glance at the soldier before doing as instructed. Once she's gone, Bucky doesn't hesitate to go after the others. Bullets were shot, one grazing his shoulder while the others were reflected by his arm. He quickly knocked two more out with ease and was about to approach the third when he heard the electric baton buzz with life. It struck him on his back, causing his muscles to spasm and his lungs to lose air.  
        Fear was conditioned within him when electricity was involved and he couldn't push down the waves of panic he was feeling. Bucky attempts to crawl away but is struck again. His body spasms more as panic settles in every nerve of his body. Flashes of images appear in his head; a red dress, dark soft hair, a warmth blooming... He couldn't think as he remembered this and it was by pure instinct that his hand moves on it's own and clutches the electric baton that was about to strike him again.  
        The guard grunts in confusion and Bucky doesn't let go. His metal arm was heating up by the electricity coursing through it and it was stinging his body all over, but he ignored it. Bucky tugged the baton towards him, bringing the guard with it, and slams him into the wall before electrocuting him with his own weapon. The lights in the gala turn back on and Bucky drops the electric baton and immediately takes off running.   
        Distant eyes follow after the Soldier, not daring to go confront him. Hydra's two assets were together again and they were on the run once more. Alec should be angry, and he was, but the appearance of the Winter Soldier tonight was what settled him. Angelique will return to him one way or another, and she will bring the Winter Soldier right alongside her. His plan hadn't counted on the Angel escaping, but the pieces seemed to be settling in the right places, all he needed was for time to pass and for reality to settle in.    
  
  


* * *

  
       Bucky noticed that she was uncomfortable and he couldn't blame her. Steve was driving and kept on glancing at her through the rearview mirror. Natasha was more subtle about it but he knew that she could feel her stare too. The silence in the SUV didn't help either. The only words said were Steve's confirmation to the rest of the team about their success in saving Angelique. Other than that, it was a genuinely pure uncomfortable silence.   
        "Did Shield brand you two?" she asked them.   
        "Excuse me?" Steve asks confused.   
        "Captain America," she says to Steve before turning to Natasha. "Black Widow."   
        "Those are our codenames but we have names," Natasha tells her. "I'm Natasha Romanov and this is Steve Rogers."  
        "Do you have a name Soldat?" she asks turning to the man seated beside her. Bucky turns to face her, slight confusion on his face as he heard the genuine curiosity and innocence in the question.   
        "Yes, I do." Bucky tells her. "It's James Buchanan Barnes but people call me Bucky."   
        Her eyes narrow at him in confusion.   
        "Hydra doesn't give monsters like us names." she states.   
        "We're not monsters," Bucky tells her.   
        "That's not what Alec told me," she whispers. "He told me monsters like us don't have names, we just get branded. You're the Winter Soldier and I'm the Angel of Darkness. I don't have a name."   
        "Your name is Angelique Porter," Steve states. "It says so in the article."   
        "Alec says the articles is full of lies," she argues. "I have no name."   
        "Alec is wrong and he no longer has control over you." Bucky tells her. "You're not some monster or some weapon to Hydra anymore. You're your own person and we'll find you a name."   
        The angry tone should have frightened her but it didn't. The genuine anger the soldier had against Hydra reassured her that he was indeed out of the system and thanks to him, so was she. She stared at him with simple gratitude.   
        "Thank you," she tells him, her hand placed over his. "Thank you."   
        Bucky smiled softly at her and she did too. Steve caught sight of their joined hands and frowned in concern. He believed Bucky when he told him that nothing would arise between him and Angelique. The smile that Bucky had shared with her, the gentleness he treated her with, and the deep concern he had for her were signs that this wasn't completely true.


	5. Reunion Pt.1

        They arrived at the tower and managed to avoid the paparazzi always waiting outside. They snuck Angelique in through the indoor parking garage and then used the private elevator to make their way up. No one said a word but Steve could see from the corner of his eye how Angelique stayed relatively close to Bucky and how he smiled at her.   
        Steve sighed which caught Natasha's attention. She looked at him questioningly sensing that something was bothering the Captain but knew better than to corner him now and ask. Once they were alone, Natasha would strike, but as for now they had to get through with the rest of the team.   
        "You might find some resistance from a few members of our team," Bucky tells her as the elevator door opens. "Don't worry about them, ok? Steve, Natasha, and I are here for you."   
        She just smiled at him and nods. They could all see the genuine fear she had. Even though they were the good guys, they could understand the apprehension she had for something unfamiliar.   
        They all walk out of the elevator and make their way down the hall to the main common room. Everyone was seated around the couch and once they saw Steve and Natasha, they all turned around. Bucky was the next to walk into the room with Angelique right behind him. Pietro stood up as she entered the room. Her eyes scanned the room, momentarily glancing at Pietro, before turning to look at Bucky.   
        "Am I safe with them?" she asks him.   
        Bucky nods at her and she turns once again to the crowd. They all stared at her blankly, as if they expected her to attack them. She didn't know what to do but the soldier's encouraging nod gave her enough confidence to make the first step.  
        "I recognize some of you from the television and magazines," she states looking at every one. "They call you heroes."   
        "Some are more heroes than others," Natasha says as she takes a seat beside Bruce.   
        "Even so, you're still heroes." She responds. "Thank you for helping me out of there."  
        Wanda scoffs and she turns to her confused. Before she could ask if something was wrong, Pietro catches her attention.   
        "Ignore my sister," Pietro tells her. "She has no manners."   
        Her eyes land on him and she narrows them slightly. Pietro takes this as a sign of remembrance and takes a leap of faith.  
        "Do you remember me, Ангел?"   
        She glances at Bucky, surprised that he spoke Bulgarian. Bucky just smiled at her, nodding to say that he was one of the good guys, before turning back to the silver-haired man in front of her.   
        "I'm still remembering things," she tells him. "I'm sorry."   
        Pietro tries to hide the slight hurt on his face but everyone can see the disappointment.   
        "He was incarcerated by Hydra," Bucky tells her. "He and his sister."   
        She glances at the twins and nods in understanding.   
        "They weren't captivated as long as we were," Bucky explains to her. "Never got cryo'd or wiped."   
        "You're lucky then," she tells them sincerely. "It's a horrible experience."   
        "Not as bad as the one you put us in," Wanda sneers.   
        "Excuse me?" she asks confused.   
        "Wanda, let it go." Steve orders.   
        She wanted to ask more about what Wanda said but the conversation moved on from that. Steve looked up at her and gave her a sympathetic smile.   
        "It's been a long night," Steve tells everyone. "We should all get some rest before facing the aftermath of tonight's mission."   
        Everyone starts to leave the room, glancing a look at the new recruit. She looks away from their stares and instead looks down at her hands.   
        "Angelique?" Steve calls out to her.   
        She looks up at the Captain and smiles at him, taking notice of the other two men beside him.   
        "Tomorrow morning, you'll be physically evaluated by Dr. Banner." Steve tells her motioning to the man with glasses. "Afterwards, Sam here will do a psychological evaluation." The other man waves at her and she smiles uneasily at him. "It's simple protocol. Nothing to worry about."   
        "Is there anything else I have to do?" she asks him.   
        "Not that I can think of right now," Steve tells her. "But... in case you remember something that you believe is important tell me or Bucky... actually any one of us."   
        She nods at this and Steve takes his leave. Only the soldier was left behind and he motioned her to follow him. Bucky takes her to the stairs and leads her down a level. They enter another common room, smaller than the one from before. It's simpler, there's no television, just bookcases filled with books and a record player in the corner.   
        "I occupy this level," Bucky tells her. "Your room is this way."  
        Bucky then leads her down another hallway and motions to the door across from his.   
        "This is your room." Bucky says as he opens it for her. "It's right across from mine so if you need anything, you can just knock and I'll be there."    
        She switches the light on and takes a sight of the furnished apartment. She takes a quick look before turning back to him.  
        "Thank you, Soldat."   
        Bucky waves her hand at her as he hears the old title.   
        "You don't have to call me that," Bucky tells her. "Everyone calls me Bucky."   
        "Bucky?" she says with a wrinkle of her nose. Bucky couldn't help but chuckle at her.   
        "Or you can call me James if you like." Bucky offers to her mindlessly. He doesn't realize what he's done and quickly backtracks. "Umm... but I haven't been called that since... well since forever."   
        "James," she states, the name rolling of her tongue easily. "James sounds nice. You look like a James."   
        Bucky couldn't help but smile genuinely at that. Part of him slightly relieved which confused him.  
        "I guess I should let you rest," Bucky says as he caught himself staying there more than he should. "There should be some extra clothes you can change into in your closet. Jarvis will wake you up in the morning."   
        "Who's Jarvis?" she asks him.           
        "You'll find out tomorrow." Bucky says smiling at her. "Goodnight."   
        "Goodnight James," she says before he pulls the door closed.

**************

        "You're worried." Natasha points out as she walks into the main kitchen. Steve was making some tea for himself before he headed to bed. He should have known that Natasha would have cornered him as soon as she could. The spy could read him better than he can.   
        "I don't know what you're talking about," Steve responds as he tries to walk around her. Natasha blocks his way and he just sighs.   
        "You're worried about them," Natasha states. "Worried what she might do to him."  
        "That's not..." Steve tries to deflect but Natasha knew better.   
        "She needs the same kind of help that Bucky got when he moved in here." Natasha tells him. "She's not going to jump into any kind of relationship right now. Not when she doesn't even know who she is."   
        "How can you be so sure about this?" Steve asks her. "The way they act each other... their minds might not remember, but their bodies do."   
        "Oh please, Steve." Natasha says with a roll of her eyes. "She could barely greet everyone today, you can't actually think she'll jump into a sexual relationship."   
        "Jeez Nat," Steve hisses out, making a face. "I'm just concerned if they jump into any kind of relationship. Bucky promised me he wouldn't but..."   
        "Well Bucky promised you he wouldn't so I think you should trust him to keep his word." Natasha tells him as she cuts him off.   
        "But you saw how they were on the way here," Steve argues. "Something clicked for them."   
        "Yeah, maybe the fact that Hydra kept them both like weapons in an arsenal." Natasha states. "Steve, you have to realize that from everyone in this building, Bucky will have more things in common with Angelique, and vice versa. They will have to trust each other, confide in things with one another. You can't stop that."   
        "I know," Steve sighs out. "I just... I'm just having a hard time letting my best friend go like that."  
        "He's a grown man, Steve." Natasha tells him. "I think it's time you start treating him like one." 

**************

  
        Their dreams were plagued by the same nightmares. Being strapped down, mouth guard forced into their mouths, and a blinding wave of pain forced into their minds. Their screams were muffled but the pain was evident through their eyes. It wasn't the first time they've had these dreams and it most likely won't be the last time.   
 _She was being pulled out of the wiping machine. Her knees hit the cold cement floor because her mind could barely register the movement of her legs. The guards ripped her off the floor and started to drag her out of the room. That was when she first saw him. The man being dragged in the same way she was. She could feel the still cool air leaving his skin, her mind recognizing it as a sign that he was just out of cryo.  
        His eyes would look up to her. Glazed over, no emotions. She stared back at him with the same look. They were too mindless to voice out a hello. The passing guards quickly blocked her view from him. Russian words exchanged in how they always alternate which asset gets to go out; the rarity of them both being in cryo together or out in a mission.  
        Her head drooped low, hair falling on her face. She didn't have to turn around and look to know that the man she had just passed had started to fight. She could hear the grunts and the curses. It took two hits from the guard to shut him up and she felt something. For the first time that she could remember, she felt something.   
        If a broken man can fight, then so can she. It was too late for her to do anything. The tubes and restraints were being forced onto her, but the next time she had the chance, she would fight. The cool air starts to fill inside the capsule and she closed her eyes. She clung to this small flame of hope in her chest, hoping that the ice on her skin wouldn't blow it out. _  
        She woke up, clutching at the sheets, a light sweat on her skin. She sighed and rolled herself onto her stomach, letting her wings expand freely off her back. It always brought her relief to have them out. Her big black wings encompassing her small body made her feel safe. No one can take away this small little haven of hers.  
        Having this room by herself, not worried that any guards would just walk in, it put her mind to ease. The monstrosities of her wings could be free in here and she wouldn't have to constrain herself. Beside her wings, this room she was given was another area of pure safety. Outside her room was another question.  
        She could see the certain scorn and mistrust from the others. She didn't even have to touch them to know what they were thinking about her. If she even dare to show them her wings, it would only feed their hate. Alec told her that her wings were hideous and an ugly thing for any normal person to see. She knew that he wasn't lying about this so she knew that she had to keep them a secret. No one could know this part of herself.   
        Her wings curl up against her, providing warmth in the cold room. Sleep came to her once more and this time she dreamt of flying.  _  
He was falling.  
        The cryo chamber doors open and he falls to his knees before his face hits the floor. He's too cold to feel any pain. He's barely clinging to consciousness to know what just happened to him. In one blink, he's being dragged. His boots dragging on the cement floor making a heavy noise. The two guards grunt as they carry him out, cursing in Russian about how heavy he was. The guards lead him out of the doors where Bucky is blinded by pure white light.   
        It takes a couple of more blinks before Bucky's eyes adjust to the lighting. It didn't help that his long, untamed hair was covering his sight as well. He shakes the strands away and notices that he wasn't alone in the hallway and that this wasn't the first time it's happened.   
        The woman looked just like him. Pale, lost, and being dragged by two guards. Their eyes catch each other, some sort of silent greeting between comrades. She no longer has the strength to keep her head up and her eyes are gone. She passes by him and that was that.  
        The guards start leading him to similar doors and that's when he realizes what's about to happen. He knows he's too weak to fight them but he tries anyways. He manages to shove one guard to the wall, causing his body to drop to the ground. The shoved guard grows angrier than he already was, takes out his baton and strikes him twice on the back. He doesn't have enough strength to defend himself so he just remains down on the floor.   
        The other guard curses at the other one and before he knew it, he's being carried again. There's more blinding lights as he steps into the room. The dreaded machine was in the middle and people were waiting around for him. The guards shove him in the seat and the cycle is once again repeated. _  
        Bucky forces himself awake and can feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. It's been a while since he've had one of these dreams but facing some aspect of Hydra reminded him of those dark days. He couldn't really blame her. It wasn't her fault that Hydra recruited who knows when and how. It wasn't her fault that she was wiped and frozen countless times. _She wasn't Hydra. She was no longer a part of Hydra._  
        Bucky kept telling himself this until his heart calmed down.  
        _He wasn't Hydra. He was no longer a part of Hydra._    
        He continued saying until his eyes started to shut close and sleep came to claim him. Dreams of ice rinks and young girls skating filled his mind. His memories returned in his sleep but this time they were filled with good.     
        


	6. Testing Her Pt.1

        The voice had startled her. She sat up in alarm, wielding her wings as weapons and shields in front of her. Once she realized that she was alone in the room and the voice of a man resonated around did she take notice that it was not an actual man, but just the AI system Jarvis. She brought back her wings, hiding them back as she was informed about her day's schedule. She started getting ready right away since her appointment with Dr. Banner was moved up.  
        After having gotten dressed in what seemed to be some neutral gray and blue uniform, she walked out of her room to hear metal clanking down the hall. Being curious, she walked down the hall and peered in to find a small kitchen which were being occupied by two feuding men.   
        "I told you to move over." Bucky states as he tries to reach for the eggs and bacon sizzling on the pan.   
        "I'm making pancakes right here. I can't move over."   
        "I think I preferred it when you were dainty and small. Both of us can't fit here."   
        "It's not my fault you wanted to cook breakfast in here instead of the  _bigger_ kitchen upstairs." Steve argues as he flips the pancakes over. "You know the kitchen specifically modified for people like you and me and Thor..."   
        "I know. I know." Bucky muttered under his breath. "But there's a reason we're doing it here and..."   
        "That reason, I believe, is awake and confused." Steve says as he finally takes notice of the silent Angelique by the door. She quickly blushes at being caught.  
        "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just didn't know how to..."   
        "Break two super soldiers from a bickering argument?" Bucky offers up, smiling gently at her. She smiles back at him and nods. "Believe me, even we don't know when to walk away."   
        "Is there anything I can help with?" she asks them, narrowing her eyes at the food on the stove.   
        "No, we got it covered, thanks though." Steve tells her as he nods her towards a seat. "Breakfast should be ready any second now."  
        "That's if you can just move over..." Bucky mutters under his breath. Once again both super soldiers return to mindless bickering and she's left alone with her thoughts. She takes a seat on the island across from the kitchen and wait. Like Steve had said, it only took a couple of more seconds before the kitchen island was filled with plates and food.   
        Steve and Bucky didn't even take a seat before serving large amounts of everything on their plates. With the super soldier serum came a faster metabolism and they needed all the food they could get. She watched them with mild amusement as they finally sat down across from her not hesitating in digging in. It took Steve and Bucky a while to notice that she wasn't eating.   
        "Pardon our manners," Steve states as he quickly moves the plate of eggs, bacon, and stacks of pancakes towards her. "We should have started with you first."  
        "It's fine," she responds just eyeing the food. "I'm not hungry anyways."   
        Bucky stared down at her in concern as she reached for her glass of water and took a small sip. She was avoiding his stare and focused her gaze elsewhere from the table. Steve could see that something was wrong with the situation but he didn't understand what.   
        "Have they been feeding you?" Bucky asks his voice dropping an octave lower, a sign to Steve that whatever Bucky was about to say was going to be dark. Steve turned to Angelique who seemed to tense at the question.  
        "Yes they..."   
        "Just water isn't a meal." Bucky states. "Tell me they've been giving you meals."   
        "I'm never hungry," she explains to him. "They stopped giving me meals when I wasn't eating them."   
        "Have you even tried to?" Bucky asks her.   
        She glances away and that was answer enough for Bucky. Steve watched the interaction with confusion.  
        "What's going on here?" Steve asks them. "I don't understand..."   
        "They fed us through a tube, Steve." Bucky explains to him, staring down at his plate with malice. "There was no taste to it and it was forced into our mouths through a tube throughout our stay in cryo. It was...it was dehumanizing. They didn't let us eat like regular people. To them, we were animals."   
        She could still feel the disgusting sludge running down her throat as James reminded her. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat.   
        "I should... I should make my way to Dr. Banner's office." she says quickly rising from her chair. "I wouldn't want to be late..."  
        "Sit." Steve orders. Angelique turns to look at him in surprise but both men were looking at her with complete seriousness. "Take a seat."   
        Bucky starts to pile her empty plate and moves it in front of her.   
        "I'm not hungry." she says again.   
        "The hell you aren't." Bucky responds harshly before taking a deep breath. His icy blue eyes met hers and he softened up a bit. "Just eat, for my sake, please."   
        She sighed but did as she was told.   
        The first bite makes her uneasy but the flavors bursting in her tongue causes an involuntary moan. Her eyes closed momentarily as something itched in her mind to remember. She took another bite and then another. After a few minutes, she was done and contempt. She finally takes notice of Bucky and Steve's stare and once again she blushes.   
        "You're a cruel man, James." she whispers as she cleans her mouth and stands up. "First your little joke with Jarvis and now this meal...very cruel."   
        She couldn't help but smile at him and Bucky smiled back. They stared at each other in silence before Steve cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence.   
        "Dr. Banner is probably ready to see you now," Steve tells her. "And after your session with Wilson, Natasha wants to evaluate you in your Hydra combat training."  
        "So soon?" Bucky asks him concerned for her safety.  
        "There's no time like the present," Steve answers before taking notice of Bucky's unamused stare. "Or at least that's what Natasha said."  
        "It's fine, James." she pipes in, also noticing Bucky's expression. "I should be able to handle myself."   
        Bucky still didn't ease up but just nodded at both of them.  
        "Come on, let me lead you to Dr. Banner's office," Bucky says standing up but Steve places a hand on him and stops him from leaving.  
        "I actually need to have a word with you," Steve tells Bucky before turning to Angelique. "Jarvis will lead you to Banner's office and then Wilson will find you afterwards to talk."   
        She glanced at both of them curiously before nodding and saying her goodbyes. She made her way down the hall, and like Steve had said, Jarvis had led her directly to the medical ward.   
        Bucky watched her go before facing Steve again.   
        "What joke did you pull on her with Jarvis?" Steve asks him confused.   
        "I may have not mentioned Jarvis was an AI system, not a real person." Bucky quickly responds. Steve shook his head at that and moved to the more serious question.  
        "James?" Steve asks him. "Since when do you go by James?"   
        "She was calling me Soldat and she didn't like the name Bucky so... James." Bucky answers as he starts to clean up the kitchen. "I told her she could call me James and she liked it."  
        "Bucky..." Steve says his voice low in concern.  
        "She needs to be comfortable ok?" Bucky explains to him. "Whatever makes her feel comfortable, I'll do it."  
        " _We_ 'll do it." Steve corrects him, glancing at him warily. "You're not alone in this with her. You've got us."   
        "Right," Bucky says with a short nod, his focus on the pile of dishes in the sink. "You're right,  _we_." 

* * *

        She was forced to change into a white hospital gown as Dr. Banner ran tests. She had blood drawn, head scans, full body x-ray, and other tests done. Dr. Banner was explaining to her why they were doing all of this and she just nodded in understanding. She couldn't hide her surprise as to how the doctor and the nurses were treating her so carefully. The doctors in Hydra were never this gentle with her.   
        "Your results should be here any minute now, so while we wait for them we'll just fill out these documents." Dr. Banner asks as he brings out a clipboard. "It's just an extra procedure we have to take since Hydra didn't have a medical file about you. Here, we like to have a medical record on file for each member. You understand right?"  
        "Completely."   
        "Good," Dr. Banner says offering a gentle smile. "So, let's start simple. Name? _Angelique Porter."  
        _"No," she calls out to him. "Not Angelique."   
        "Isn't that your name?" Dr. Banner asks her confused.  
        "Perhaps," she answers. "But Alec said the article was filled with lies and since you have yet to find a Hydra file with that name, I can only assume that Alec was being honest. I have no name."   
        "I'm sure you have one and besides we haven't decrypted most of the Hydra files. We'll find you," Dr. Banner assures her. "Or you'll remember soon enough... whichever comes first."   
        She simply nods at him kindly before looking down at the clipboard.  
        "Can we leave that one blank for now?" she asked him. Dr. Banner nods and continues with the rest of the questions. Some of them were forced to be left blank as she had no idea when her birthday was or where she was from. The test results would answer some questions but for the most part, her file was left with big gaping holes of nothing. Dr. Banner assured her that it wasn't a problem and that she shouldn't worry about it. Before she could argue against that, the test results came back.   
        Dr. Banner placed the scans among the screens, separating them from what was what. The brain scans were on the left and the rest of her body was separated on the right. Dr. Banner looked all of them with newfound curiosity and awe.  
        "As I suspected, your nervous system is enhanced... mutated." Dr. Banner says pointing at the arrange of colors your brain was decorated with. "Your powers work with touch right?" she quickly nods at this but Dr. Banner was quickly lost in his rapid thoughts coursing through his mind. "Your whole nervous system is magnified with touch and your mind just absorbs all this information like a very absorbable sponge. This kind of mutation shouldn't be possible for _years_  but you're living proof that it can actually happen."   
        "Are you saying I was born this way?" she asks him. "I wasn't genetically enhanced?"   
        "There is no way someone could have whipped this in some bottle. The brain is too complex to be toiled with." Dr. Banner rapidly responds. "This is all the natural work of the world."   
        "Which means that Hydra found me, captured me, and wiped me for their own use." she concludes. "This means I have parents... a family, a home."   
        Dr. Banner turns to look at her, a gentle look on his face.   
        "Yes," he tells her. "It means exactly that."   
        She smiled at him before turning to face the other scans. The scans of the rest of her body were up on display and she could barely make sense from any of them. Dr. Banner didn't seem to have that same difficulty.   
        "Huh..." he whispers as he narrows his eyes at one diagram. "That shouldn't... huh."   
        She takes notice that Dr. Banner is looking over the scan of what seemed to be her spine and she instantly tenses up as she fears that her secrets have been revealed.   
        "What's wrong?" she manages to find her voice and ask him.   
        "I...uh... well, your spine and something on your shoulder blades..." Dr. Banner mutters incoherently before shaking his head and lowering his glasses from his face. "I'm sure it's a glitch. Nobody's body could function with an extra...yeah, I'm sure it's a glitch."   
        Dr. Banner waves that image off and looks at the other scans. One of them causing his eyes to widen in alarm.   
        "Jarvis," he calls out. "Call Tony to the medical ward. He's going to want to see this."   
        Dr. Banner rips off the image from the screen and places it on the desk. His eyes narrowed at the alarming contraption wired around the inside of her left arm. It seemed to enwrap itself along a very vital artery that if cut, could instantly kill her. This was all Hydra's work, some sort of back-up plan if their Asset were to ever cause them problems, and this time, they had certainly outdone themselves. 

 


	7. Testing Her Pt.2

         _"Shit."  
        _Tony looked at the x-ray of the elegant gadget lodged inside Angelique and all he could think of was that simple word.   
        " _Shit_."  
        She turned to Dr. Banner, more concern etched on her face as the man of Iron in front of her seemed to be like a broken record, repeating that same word over and over again in the span of a minute.   
        "I knew it was bad, didn't realize it was  _this_ bad." she confesses to the doctor.   
        "We'll figure something out," Dr. Banner assured her. "Stark has the best advanced medical technology in the world. We're going to find a way to get that thing out of you."   
        " _Shit._ "   
        She lets out an exasperated scoff as she glanced back at Tony who was still inspecting the x-ray with a very dumbfounded intensity.   
        "So what is it exactly?" she asked him. "Is it a tracking device? A small bomb perhaps?"   
        "Tracking." Tony answers quickly still inspecting the structure of the device. "It's too small to be a bomb."   
        "Did James have one too?" she asked him.   
        "James? Who in the hell is James?" Tony scoffs out but the question is ignored as Bruce answers her question instead.   
        "Yeah, in his left arm too but it wasn't this complicated." Dr. Banner tells her. "Besides, it was his metal arm. His was latched on wires, yours is latched on a major artery."   
        She swallowed nervously as she heard this.  
        "If... if we attempt to get this extracted from my arm, I'm going to most likely die aren't I?"   
        "Not if Bruce and I can help it." Tony states. "I just don't know how to proceed with this."  
        "Can you deactivate it? Make it unworkable?" Bruce asks him.  
        "If I disarm the device, there's a chance it'll tighten around the artery, cutting off blood circulation. The only way to truly be rid of it is to extract the live device without cutting the artery and making you bleed out on the table to death without being able to do anything but watch you die."  
        Tony and Bruce were too distracted on examining the x-ray that they hadn't noticed on her pale features. She took a shuddering deep breath.   
        "I'm scared."   
        The simple statement caused both men to look up at the tearful woman.   
        "I thought... I thought I was free of them at last but then... then they come and do this." She gasps out. "Its their collar for beasts like me. I'm still not free from their holding chains."   
        Tears swell up in her eyes and she's trying her hardest not to let them fall. She bit her lip and grasped the medical table below her tightly. Tony and Bruce had no idea how to console the nearly weeping woman in front of them. Luckily, someone who did came in.   
        "What did you do now, Stark?" Sam states as he enters the medical ward and finds Angelique in the verge of tears. Tony just scoffs at him insulted by his statement.   
        "What are you doing here?" Tony asks confused.  
        "I'm supposed to be picking up Angelique for the psych eval." Sam replies as he stops in front of them. "What about you? And what did you do to her?" Sam asks as he motions to Angelique.  
        "I didn't do anything."   
        "Yeah, he did." Bruce says, throwing Tony under the bus. "He could of worded her current situation more gently instead of saying  _shit_ for the first few minutes."   
        "I was in shock, ok?" Tony explains himself. "This kind of advanced gadget caught me off-guard."   
        "But you're not the one who has that gadget inside of them, Tony!" Bruce exclaims.   
        Sam was getting tired that these two men had once again started focusing on themselves instead of the still upset Angelique in front of them.   
        "Can you two just cut it out?" Sam interrupts them. "Once again, the woman is on the verge of tears and I have no idea of what is causing it."  
        Tony and Bruce become silent and just show Sam the x-ray.   
        "What am I looking at here?" Sam asks them.   
        "That device right there," Tony says pointing to the small box shaped image located on Angelique's bicep. "That square right there is a tracking device."   
        "So?" Sam asks them. "You can just take it out."   
        "Not so easy, bird man." Tony explains to him. "Yes we could try to take it out  _except_ the wires are wrapped around Angelique's artery."   
        "Oh." Sam responds realizing the seriousness of the situation.   
        "Oh, exactly." Tony replies.   
        "Don't call me that." her voice quietly interrupts the tension. Tony and Sam look up at her confused, while Bruce sighs in realization.   
        "What?" Tony asks her.   
        "Don't call her Angelique." Bruce answers for her. "That's not her name."   
        "Then what is?" Sam asks her.   
        "I don't know." she quietly replies.   
        "Well we can't have you living with us with no name," Sam tells her.   
        She remained silent at Sam's reply. Her eyes were staring at the other useless x-rays in front of her. Her mind had been taken over with the idea of death. Death was the only freedom she could receive from Hydra. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad...  
        "How about we just call you Angel for the time being?" Sam offers up to her, trying to get her mind back towards their conversation. "Just until we find your real name or you remember. Is that ok with you?"   
        Angel just nodded mindlessly at him and continued to stare at the wall in front of her.   
        "Has anyone told Steve yet?" Sam asks them.   
        The exchange of looks between Bruce and Tony was answer enough to know that they hadn't. Sam sighs and shakes his head at both of them. For being the two smartest guys, they were pretty dumb sometimes.   
        "I'm assuming if you haven't told Steve, then Bucky doesn't know either."   
        At the mentioning of Bucky, Angel looked up.   
        "James," she says to them, liveliness returning to her eyes. "I need to talk to James."   
        Not a second passed by before Tony crossed his arms and sighed.   
        "Jarvis," he calls out. "Get me Rogers and Barnes."

* * *

        They were in the middle of a sparring match when Jarvis informed them of a very urgent meeting that Stark was calling them to. Once Jarvis explained it was because of Angel, who was asking for Bucky to be at her side, did he practically drop everything and immediately run out of the gym with Steve at his heels. Whatever had happened in the mere hour of Bruce's check-up must have been very alarming if they were both being called there by Tony's orders no less.  
        "What's going on in here?" Bucky asks as he reaches the medical ward and catches sight of Sam, Tony, and Bruce piled into the room. He takes notice of a pale looking Ange and becomes more concerned. "What's wrong?"  
        "There's a tracking device placed on her arm," Bruce tells him.  
        "Then take it out of her." Bucky responds quickly.  
        "Not that easy, Winter." Tony tells him. "The device is wrapped on a major artery. We take that thing out, there's a high chance we can kill her."   
        "Then disarm it, and leave it in." Steve offers up.  
        "Apparently we can't do that either," Sam explains to him. "The wires on the artery will just tighten around the artery, cutting of blood circulation."    
        Bucky was about to take a look at the device for itself before his name is being called elsewhere.   
        "James..."   
        He looks up and sees the panic filled eyes of Angel. Bucky pushes past the small crowd of men and stands in front of her, unsure of how to comfort her. She takes it upon herself and just grabs onto his left metal hand, grasping it tightly. This perplexed him as she didn't mind the metallic feel of his fingers. In fact, she seemed more relieved by his cold touch.   
        "Doll?" Bucky asks, unsure of what to say or do.   
        Angel couldn't let out any words and instead just leans her head on his chest and begins to cry. Bucky became rigid at this and turned to the rest of the men in the room. Steve was as good with women as he was in the 40's so he was no use. Tony turned away, not aiding him at all. Bruce just looked upset to see her upset and Sam was just mad at him for doing nothing.  
         _"Comfort her!"_ Sam mouths silently to him.  
        Bucky just wanted to mouth  _how_ but it seemed like Sam was ready to punch him if he remained doing nothing. So Bucky did what he thought was right, he pulled her into an embrace and just slowly patted her back. That seemed to relax her a bit as her sobs became less. She pulled her head away and just wiped off the remaining tears.  
        "I got your shirt dirty," she mumbles. "I'm sorry."            
        Bucky couldn't help but chuckle at how she was worried about a simple shirt than the predicament she was in.   
        "You ok?" he asks her.   
        "Not really," Angel replies.   
        "We'll find a way to get that thing out of you." James tells her.           
        "What about we don't?" Steve answers, causing everyone to turn to him. "What?"   
        "Are you serious, Steve?" Bucky asks annoyed.   
        "They already know she's here," Steve states. "What harm will it do?"   
        "She won't have the liberty to leave the building," Bucky replies.   
        "She doesn't have the right to do that now," Steve responds. "We still can't trust her with that freedom."   
        "Steve, what the hell..." Bucky begins to exclaim before Angel grabs his arm and pulls him back. She watched him with alarm and that seemed to snap Bucky back. He didn't want her to see him angry and she didn't want him to be.   
        "I don't want to die," Angel states looking at everyone in the room, before her eyes return to James. "But I don't want them monitoring me anymore."   
        "So what can we do?" Sam asks Bruce and Tony. "There must be a way to take that thing out of her without it killing her."   
        "It's going to take a surgical miracle to get that thing out of her." Tony states. "It's not worth the risk."   
        "Dr. Banner?" Steve asks next.   
        "As much as I want to have an answer, I don't." Dr. Banner answers. "Like Tony said, it's going to take a miracle not to kill her."   
        "Then let's use one of our miracle workers," Bucky states, causing everyone to look at him confused. "Wanda has the ability to move things with her mind. Shouldn't she be able to maneuver some simple device out of her without harming her?"  
        "Buck..." Steve says warningly, knowing that Wanda wasn't a big fan of Angel, but Bucky ignores him and turns to Dr. Banner and Tony.  
        "Is that possible?" he asks them.  
        "It'll take a lot of concentration from her part, but yeah... it should be able to work." Dr. Banner states. Bucky turns to Angel who's looking at him unsure of what just happened.  
        "We're taking that thing out of you doll," Bucky tells her. "I promise."   
        Angel just laughed in relief at this and hugged Bucky happily. Bucky embraced her back and glances over at Steve who was shooting daggers at him.  
        "The problem now is asking Wanda." Steve states, hating to be the bearer of bad news. "Because as you can recall, she's not exactly Team Angel at the moment."   
        "What does he mean, James?" Angel asks concerned etched on her face once more. Bucky sighed as he glanced away from Steve and looked down at Angel.  
        "It means I have some begging to do."


	8. Questions of Science

        Bucky knew that there were a few things Wanda liked. She liked very cheesy soap operas and fashion magazines. She also liked chocolate above all else, but that could only be trumped when chocolate-covered  _strawberries_ came to play. With the help of Tony, Bucky managed to get his hands on Wanda's favorite chocolate-covered strawberries from her favorite cafe. He carried the delivered box through the hallway and Steve only shook his head at the sight of it. Bucky ignored it as he made his way into the kitchen to find Wanda already in there, searching the fridge.   
        "Stop looking now, Wanda." Bucky states as he places the box on the counter. "I got what you're looking for."   
        This peaked Wanda's interest. Not only was this a rare moment that Bucky interacted with her, but the first time he went out of his way to bring her something. She looked at the box, knowing immediately what was inside it. As much as she wanted to tear the box open and dig inside, she had to find out what Bucky wanted from her and she suspected it had to do with the newcomer.   
        "I'm assuming you're here for that angel of yours," Wanda states unhappily.   
        Bucky sighs and merely nods.   
        "Then the answer is no." Wanda grits out, ready to leave the kitchen. "It'll take a lot more than my favorite food to convince me of whatever you want to convince me with."   
        "This is a matter of life or death, Wanda." Bucky explains to her. "Please, you have to help me help her."   
        "Help the woman who terrorizes my dreams?!" Wanda exclaims. "Are you out of your mind?"   
        She turns to walk away from the kitchen, wanting to end the conversation there, but Bucky doesn't give up.  
        "You know she's not the same person she was back then," Bucky defends her. This causes Wanda to stop and she snaps towards James.  
        "I look at her face and see the same woman who would beat us until we couldn't bleed anymore," Wanda tells him. "I look into her eyes and I see the same cold eyes that held nothing but endless torment." Wanda takes a step closer to Bucky. "I look at this woman and see the same monster in that cage."   
        The genuine pain and fear were reflected in Wanda's eyes and Bucky knew he was asking too much of her, but he had to. He had given his word.  
        "Is that what you think of me?" Bucky asks her.  
        "Bucky..." Wanda sighs out, taking a step back.  
        "Answer me, honestly." Bucky states. "Is that what you think of me?"   
        "You don't understand," Wanda tells him. "The things you did, it wasn't you. It was all Hydra."   
        "Doesn't the same thing apply to Angel?" Bucky asks her. "It wasn't her doing these things. It was Hydra and you have to realize that."   
        "I can't..." Wanda says closing her eyes. "Bucky, she terrifies me and she's a horrible person with horrible powers."   
        "She'll die." Bucky states.  
        Wanda slightly shakes, looking away from Bucky's heavy gaze.   
        "Then at least I can finally sleep at night knowing she no longer breathes the same air as I do."   
        No more words were said as Wanda turns around and leaves the room. Bucky just watched her go, not knowing what he could do from this point. 

* * *

        Bucky starts to make his way back to the medical wing not knowing how he would break the news to her. She had the right to know before anyone else did. It was a long shot and Bucky was rarely optimistic about this. He had hoped that Wanda would be convinced to save Angel's life but that wasn't the case. Now he had to go back on his word and just watch Angel fall apart by the never ending bullshit Hydra seems to bring their way.   
        Bucky was about to reach her designed medical room when he heard the twinkling of laughter coming from her room. The door was open and before he could reach it, Bucky felt a rush of air whip past him, which only meant one thing; Pietro.  
        In a few seconds, Pietro passed him again and Angel's laughter filled the room once more. Bucky entered it and found the room filled with so many objects. A large bouquet of flowers were in a vase on the table nearby, but that wasn't what caught Bucky's attention. It was the Iron Man helmet that laid in Angel's hands, and the Captain America shield laying beside her on the bed. Clint's bow and arrow where resting on a nearby chair while Pietro now held up the box of chocolate-covered strawberries that Bucky had just bought.   
        "Hey, I got those for Wanda." Bucky exclaims as he enters the room.   
        "And she wasn't eating them, so I took them." Pietro answered. "I assumed Angel here would appreciate the kind gesture."   
        Bucky just glared at Pietro before turning to Angel.  
        "What's all of this?"   
        "Umm, Pietro heard I was in here so he came to visit." Angel explained to him. "He noticed I was upset and so he showed me his power and brought me all of these things."   
        "I tried to bring you mjolnir, but I am not worthy to lift it." Pietro said with a sheepish smile.   
        "With good reason, you quick thief." Bucky grits out.   
        "I will return everything to their rightful owner," Pietro tells him. "I promise."   
        "Why don't you start doing that now?" Bucky asks him. "Angel and I have to discuss an important matter."   
        Pietro didn't like the tone the Soldier was using against him and glanced over at Angel who didn't seem phased by it.   
        "Thank you, Pietro." she tells him with a small smile. "It was kind of you to keep me company."  
        "Until we see each other again," Pietro says with a nod before rushing out of the room.   
        Angel watched him go and turned her attention towards James. He seemed stressed, but that wasn't new. Everyone in this compound seemed stressed from her current situation. She motioned for him to take a seat and James refused. He'll rather be standing when he had to give her the news.   
        "I...uh..." Bucky starts off, unsure of what to say. Before he could attempt to make a sentence, Pietro rushed in again.  
        "Forgive me, Steven wants his shield back and I forgot to leave this behind." Pietro dropped the box of chocolate-covered strawberries and then picked up the shield. He looked back at Angel, ignoring Bucky completely. "I'll see you later  _printsesa_."   
        Pietro placed a kiss on her hand before rushing out again. Bucky saw the light blush on Angel's face that disappeared pretty quickly as she turned to look at him, and then it hit him.   
        "So what did you need to tell me?" Angel says sitting up, trying to keep the thin hospital gown down.   
        "It can wait," Bucky answers as he starts to step back from the room. "I just remembered that I needed to discuss something with someone."   
        Angel looked at him confused and had no time to ask him about it because James had already left the room in a hurried pace. 

* * *

        Bucky easily found Wanda in the common room. She was seated in the sofa with a big bowl of popcorn watching some sort of soap opera series. Bucky wanted to kick himself for not thinking about this sooner and that's why he didn't waste any more time as he made his way to the common room and stood in front of the tv. Wanda just glared at him.  
        "What do you think you're doing?" she asks him. "I'm in the middle of my show."   
        "Hear me out," Bucky states.   
        "Is this about that angel of yours again?" Wanda huffs out as she grabs the remote and pauses her show. "The answer is no, Bucky."   
        "If we lose Angel, you'll lose Pietro." Bucky tells her.   
        Wanda narrowed her eyes at Bucky as he said this. She sets the bowl of popcorn aside and stands up.   
        "Are you threatening my brother?" Wanda grits out.   
        "No, of course not," Bucky tells her. "I worded that wrong."   
        Bucky sighs as he runs his hand through his unkept hair.   
        "Look, Pietro has a soft spot for Angel." Bucky explains to her. "If she dies, because you didn't want to help her, then Pietro will hate you for it. You know I'm right about this."   
        "He'll get over it," Wanda says quietly, looking away from Bucky.  
        "Are yo sure about that?" Bucky asks her.  
        "She's just some woman." Wanda answers.  
        "You and I both know this isn't just some woman to him."  
        Wanda sighs as she hears this and plops down onto the couch again. Her hands press into her eyes as she realizes the decision she has to make. She sighs once more before looking up at Bucky.  
        "What do you need me to do?" 

* * *

        The room below them was being prepped for surgery. Wanda, Dr. Banner, Tony, and Bucky were all in scrubs while Angel was still in her hospital gown. She was laid out on the table with monitors all around her. She was reluctant on being put down, but Dr. Banner convinced her she really needed it. Bucky remained at her side always, giving her the reassurance that everything was alright. Wanda seemed a bit nervous knowing that Angel's life was in her hands, one mental slip could kill her.  
        Once Angel was deeply induced with the gas anesthetic did the surgery begin. Dr. Banner made the deep incision and clamped the skin away allowing Wanda to see the artery and the device. Tony was standing by Wanda to instruct her of what wiring she should start to unwrap first. All of this was a slow process and the waiting room above the surgery room was filled with silence.   
        Steve, Sam, and Natasha were waiting in the observation room watching the surgery with deep concentration. Steve had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing especially with the involvement of Bucky in all of it. Angel had only been there for a whole day now and Bucky was jumping through hoops for the girl. It wasn't the girl herself that was the source of Steve's uneasiness it was Hydra overall. They hadn't sent threats or have attempted to get Angel back. It was all strange to him that they left the girl be.   
        "Something on your mind, Cap?" Natasha asks Steve, noticing the distant stare. "Still worried about Bucky's involvement with all of this?"   
        "I trust Bucky," Steve tells her.   
        "But you don't trust Angel." Natasha states.   
        "No," Steve answers her. "I just don't trust Hydra."   
        "She isn't Hydra, though." Sam pipes in. "Well... not that we know of."   
        "I just don't understand what Hydra is doing." Steve confesses to them. "They gave Angel up without much of a fight and they know where she is. Why haven't they come looking for her? Why are they so deadly silent?"  
        "Because they know they can't come at the Avengers." Sam states. "And because Stark has this building protected so well that the President's security detail is put to shame."   
        "Those are not good enough reasons," Steve sighs out. Natasha and Sam share a look before turning to a pensive Steve.  
        "Steve, you weren't asking these questions when we took Bucky in." Natasha tells him.  
        "Yeah, Steve." Sam pipes in. "What's with all the sudden doubt?"   
        "They're planning something, I just know it." Steve whispers.   
        "Steve..." Natasha calls out to him.   
        "I just..." Steve says turning around to look at both of them. "Why would they go through the risk of implanting that tracking device on Angel?"   
        "What do you mean?" Sam asks him.   
        "The tracking device," Steve repeats. "You've seen how much trouble we went through planning on extracting that thing out, but we never asked the question on how that thing was put there in the first place."   
        Sam and Natasha just stared at Steve as they realized what he was getting to.   
        "How did they get that device to wrap itself around the major artery without killing her?" Steve asks them. "Why would they risk her life in that way?"   
        "Steve..." Sam starts to say before a high beeping noise caught their attention. They all turned to the glass window and see the surgery room turn into a frenzy.  
        The monitors were lighting up like fireworks. Dr. Banner turned to find Angel waking up through the anesthetic. As much as Bucky tried to calm her down, Angel was already panicking with the mask on her face that she thrashed under Bucky's hold. Tony was shouting at Wanda telling her that the device had to remain implanted. Wanda's hands were trembling badly with the red energy under her control. Sam, Steve, and Natasha were ready to storm the surgery room until everything became deadly silent.  
        Large amounts of blood started to pool out onto the table and all of them looked horrified by it. Angel fell back onto the surgical table and the heart monitor slowly went dead.  
        Dr. Banner immediately rushed over and attempted to stop the bleeding. Tony was forcing a crying Wanda out of the room as she realized what she's done. Bucky remained seated there, feeling her hand become cold in his.           
        Steve watched as Dr. Banner extracted the still active device, blood covering the entire wire. Dr. Banner then looked at the clock before turning off the still beeping heart monitor.   
        "Time of death: 5:52 pm."   
        Bucky hadn't moved from his seat, still holding Angel's hands. He was obviously in complete shock. Sam looked at Steve in deep concern.  
        "What the hell just happened?"   
       


	9. Repercussions

        Their was a silence in the room that no one had any intention in breaking. Every one had been briefed about what had just occurred an hour ago. Bruce was used to loss at the table, but he hadn't expected for Angel to be one of those medical failures. Wanda was stifling tears while Pietro refused to look at her. He knew he shouldn't blame her but Pietro couldn't help himself. As for Bucky, he was still in shock. Something in his mind was refusing to believe that she was actually dead.  
        The other part of the team were surprised at the news. They hadn't even spoke a word to the girl and now she was dead. Pushing their feelings aside, Steve and Tony took it upon themselves to make sure the team would get past this. Sam was ready to offer any counseling needed, though he needed a bit of time to recover from the very mutual shock.   
        "Should we recount what happened?" Natasha pipes in. "Because I was watching the whole thing and I am still very confused as to how this happened."   
        Bruce sighed at this, rubbing his face before leaning over the table.   
        "I administered some drugs to help her sleep. The mask on her face was meant to release the gas in short doses to keep her unconscious. She fell into an induced sleep and the drugs were still being given to her but it seems that her body adapted to it. Hence, why she woke up mid-procedure."   
        Bruce took a deep breath before continuing.   
        "Angel was already afraid of having the mask placed on her. I theorize it had something to do with Hydra's treatment of her, perhaps they placed her in a muzzle or something along those lines. Anyways, Bucky an I managed to convince her into putting on the mask. When Angel woke from her sleep, she started to have a panic attack and Wanda wasn't able to stop the already unwired tracking device from cutting her. She died due to major blood loss."   
        There was their awaited explanation and no one could find the words to respond.   
        "How could you have not noticed?"   
        Everyone snapped their heads to Bucky who's head was hanging low. His crystal blue eyes were on fire and the tension in his seated stance was a cause of alarm for most of them.  
        "Excuse me?" Bruce asks him.   
        "How did you not notice that her body could adapt to this?" Bucky exclaims. "You ran a complete check-up on her! How did you not notice?"   
        "What kind of medical exam could I have run that would have shown me this?" Bruce argues back. "There is no way I could have known her tolerance to the drug."   
        "You should have been more prepared!"   
        "She knew the risks of this procedure and she still wanted to take them." Bruce continues to respond. His temper rising. "It is not my fault, neither it's Tony or Wanda's fault, for Angel's decision. This is a result we all warned her about but she still wanted the procedure. Don't blame me for your decision to support her in this."   
        Natasha placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder, motioning him to leave the room. She was already sensing his other self wanting to make a presence. Natasha led Bruce out of the room and Bucky was left to silently contemplate what the doctor had just said to him.   
        "He's right." Bucky muttered under his breath as he rubbed his tired eyes. "This is my fault."   
        "Buck..." Steve calls out to him, but Bucky had already risen from his seat and was leaving the room in defeat. 

* * *

         _She was laughing at him. The Soldier couldn't recall what he had said to make that beautiful sound escape her lips but she was laughing. She ran away from him every time he tried to reach for her, escaping his grasp by a mere second. She would laugh again and run further down the hall. Her dress was a midnight black, flapping around her as she ran further and further down the hall._

  
_"_ вы так медленно, солдат" _her voice taunted him_.                                  

(You are so slow, soldier)

        "если я поймаю тебя, то игра закончена."  _the Soldier said smiling at her._

  
(If I catch you, then the game is over.)

        "возможно,"  _she answered. "_ но если вы ловите меня, то вы получите приз." 

                                                                                         (Perhaps, but if you catch me, you'll win a prize.)

        "И что этот приз будет?"

(And what will that prize be?)

        "Что бы вы хотели, чтобы это было," _she giggles out, continuing to escape his grasp once more._

(Whatever you want it to be.)

        _The Soldier looked around the deserted hallways. Their current station being an old one, all of the security cameras were inactive._  
        "Мы не должны быть здесь слишком долго," _the Soldier warned her._ "Они будут наказывать нас за это." 

        (We shouldn't be out here too long. They'll punish us for it.)

_The smile that once graced her face slowly fades away. He hated himself for being the voice of reason in the situation, but for the safety of them both, he had too._  
        "Еще несколько минут больше, пожалуйста?" _she asked him quietly._ "Мы никогда не видели друг друга больше ... не то, что я помню, так или иначе." 

     (Just a few more minutes more, please? We never see each other anymore... not that I remember anyways.)

        _The Soldier couldn't help but give in to her whims. She was right. They never paired them up anymore and if they did, it was wiped out of him._  
        _She smiled at him, illuminating the room once more. He began to go after her and she continued to slip through his hold. They made it out onto the balcony in which the Soldier was finally able to corner her between the railing and himself._  
        "Я вам, красивый." _the Soldier states as she just looked for a way to slip from his hold._ "Теперь, где мой приз?"

                                                                                                        (I got you, beautiful. Now where's my prize?)

_She looked up at him with such joy before looking behind her. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes before she pressed a kiss on his cheek and turned away from him._

  
_"_ Вы хотите узнать секрет? _" she asked him._  


(Would you like to know a secret?)

_The Soldier was confused at her question. What possible secret could she have that he already didn't know?  
        She turned back to face him with a very crazed smile. She let go of his arms and pulled herself over the railing. Before the Soldier could make sense of what she was doing, she flung herself back. The Soldier immediately ran to the ledge, his heart in his throat, waiting for her body to hit the floor. _

* * *

        Bucky woke up with a light layer of sweat on his skin. The sheets were tangled around him due to his incessant twists and turns. He placed his hand on his chest, feeling how fast his heart was beating. Bucky knew that Jarvis must have already sent out a message to Steve, warning him of his night terror, because he could hear Steve rushing to his room. Right as the bedroom door swung open, Bucky was getting out of bed and shrugging a shirt on.   
        "What's going on?" Steve asks him, any evidence of sleep was gone from his face.   
        "Get out of my way," Bucky grits out as he made his way out. Steve was pushed into the wall as Bucky stormed out of his room and made his way towards the medical bay.   
        "Bucky, what's going on?" Steve asks him concerned. "What did you remember?"   
        Bucky ignored his question as he had a set image in his mind. Her body falling over the ledge was being played on loop in his mind. Over and over again, Bucky could see Angel's smile that was directed towards him before she made the jump.   
        Steve followed after him, a few steps behind as Bucky entered the medical bay. No one was in there this late at night.   
        "Do you mind telling me what's going on?" Steve asks him once more. He just wanted to know what was causing this out-of-character behavior. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"   
        Once again, Bucky ignored his question as he pushed the doors of the morgue open. He stopped as he looked at the wall of freezers that could contain her. Steve stood beside him, confused as to what would lead Bucky here.   
        "Buck, what are you..." Steve begins to ask before he hears it, before they both heard it.   
        A loud thumping was echoing through the walls as if someone was trying to get out. The piercing scream came next before short gasps of air were taken.   
        "Oh my god," Steve states as Bucky runs forward and starts to open the doors, desperately looking for the source of the sound. Steve followed his example, opening the multiple freezer door until Bucky opened the right one.   
        Angel immediately gasped for air and sat up. Bucky helped her out of the cold container and onto her feet. She immediately latched onto him, part of it because of comfort and another because of the need of warmth. Bucky let her into his arms, brushing her hair and hushing her crying. He slowly looked up at Steve who clearly had questions about the whole thing.   
        "I'll explain later," Bucky whispered to Steve. The single statement was enough for Steve to back off, leaving the room in order to give them some privacy.   
        Angel continued to shiver in his arms, grasping onto him for dear life. Her breathing had turned to normal, but it was evident that panic was still running through her. Bucky continued to hold her, hushing her as he slowly drew circles on her back. She buried her face into his chest, crying quietly.   
        Bucky couldn't imagine what she must have felt like. She had died in fear and had awaken in fear. He didn't know if they had placed a muzzle on her, but he did know that waking up in a freezing chamber, burning your skin with harsh cold temperature must have been an awful reminder of their painful past. Her crying turned to soft whimpering and he could feel her slowly falling asleep against him.   
        Bucky slowly lifted her up his arms and made his way out of the morgue. Dr.Banner was waiting for him in the medical bay, but Bucky quietly told him to wait till morning. Surprisingly, Dr.Banner agreed and let Bucky take Angel upstairs.   
        Most of the team seemed to have woken up to the late night commotion and were silently watching him carry Angel through the halls. They all seemed concerned, whether it was for her wellbeing or this new development, Bucky didn't know and didn't really care to find out. He ignored all of their stares and carried Angel into her room.   
        He tucked her into bed, careful not to stir her from her sleep. Bucky made sure to instruct Jarvis into warming up the room to make her forget about the cold. Bucky then dragged the armchair in her room to the edge of the bed and took a seat. Any thought of sleep was no longer in his mind as he supervised Angel in her own slumber. Bucky knew that she wouldn't like to wake up alone.


	10. Testing Her Pt.3

This wasn't the first time she's died and it most certainly won't be her last. Her dreams were plagued by many scenes of her past. She remembered the white sterile room in which they held her in. She could now recognize the quick Russian that was being spoken around her, not to her. She remembered the pain and the misery, the cries for help, the cries for it to stop, and how her last breath came quicker than expected.

Death was a brief peace, before she awoke from the dead and was forced to do it all over again.

It seems that her death caused her brain to recalibrate slightly. Not all of her memories returned, but the few bits that did eased her. The few memories that decided to return explained a lot of the unexplainable. She would have to let the team know when she woke up which was why she still remained in bed. She had just received these memories and as selfish as it was, she wanted to keep them to herself for a while longer.

"I know you're awake, Angel," Bucky called out to her, seeing her still completely.

"That's not my name," she replied, not daring to turn to face him.

"I thought we settled this," Bucky sighs out.

"I remember my name," she tells him, causing Bucky to become still. "I remember a lot of things."

There was a moment of silence as Bucky processed this. He's been in her shoes before, remembering a past that sometimes is better left to be forgotten. He was worried as to what kind of horrors she's seen.

"What kind of things?" Bucky asks nervously.

"So many lives..." she whispers to him as she slowly sat up from the bed and pushed her lose hair away from her face. She now noticed that her body was still in a hospital gown that was barely covering her body. "I need to shower and change."

Bucky noticed how she avoided his stare and entered the bathroom. He heard the lock settle in place before there was only silence. She hadn't looked at him at all in their small interaction. She had remembered something, and she couldn't even look at him. He let out a shaky sigh before stepping out of the room in desperate need of fresh air. It didn't help that once he got out of Angel's room that he was immediately cornered by Steve.

"Is everything ok?" Steve asks him, noticing Bucky's fallen expression.

"Everything is fine, Steve." Bucky responds as he makes his way upstairs to the open balcony.

"You don't seem fine," Steve continues, following after him. "What's going on?"

Bucky burst through the balcony doors and took in a deep breath of air. He started to pace the area slowly, not daring to get close to the ledge.

“Bucky, just tell me what’s going on?!” Steve exclaims concerned.

“She remembers something, ok?!” Bucky shouts back. “She remembers and… I think I did something to her. I think I hurt her.”

Bucky continues to take deep breaths and Steve just watches him.

“I can’t remember,” Bucky sighs out. “I can’t remember her after all that I know of her. I can’t… I’m trying, but I can’t.”

“I was worried that this might be the case,” Steve whispers, Bucky barely hearing him. “I was worried that she might be more toxic than good.”

“You still don’t understand, do you?” Bucky asks him. “I’m not the one who’s toxic. It’s me!”

“No, it’s not.”

The voice was so quiet that both super soldiers thought they were overhearing things except that Angel came out onto the balcony wearing a shorts and a tank, a bathrobe was around her shoulders keeping her warm.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. told me you were outside,” Angel tells them. “I thought I’ll come and get you for the debriefing.”

“Debriefing?” Steve asks confused. “Who called for a debriefing?”

“I did,” Angel says before walking back into the building.

Steve turned to Bucky who had a blank expression on his face. Any emotion he had before was gone. Steve sighed at the sight of this, knowing that Bucky was just placing a mask on to hide what was underneath. It was the way he protected himself from the slander of outside sources.

Steve followed Bucky back into the building and they both made their way to the conference room. It was obvious from everyone’s face that they didn’t know what to expect and were trying to hide that from Angel who was standing at the top of the table.

“Now that everyone’s here, I should start.” Angel states with a soft voice. She stares at everyone in the room before taking a deep breath. “I’ll like to formally introduce myself. Hydra called me Lucy, short for…”

“Lucille?” Tony guessed.

“No,” she answered. “It was actually short for Lucifer.”

Sam choked on his water as he heard that and Tony and Bruce looked alarm at the answer. Wanda and Pietro just stared at her in shock while Natasha and Clint were the only ones being able to hold a blank expression. Steve was just confused while Bucky just stared at her with realization.

“Angel of Darkness,” Bucky huffs out annoyed. “The worst Angel of them all, Lucifer… Hydra were always ironic bastards.”

“It goes beyond the name,” Lucy tells him. “It’s my nature.”

“Are you saying you’re the devil?” Steve asks her.

“No, of course not.” Lucy replies. “I’m saying that Hydra used me to find the sins of anyone. They made me reach into people’s minds, pull their memory… drain it, and the information I confiscated, I could use as leverage.”

“Blackmail,” Natasha states. “You were their prized weapon to get blackmail information.”

Lucy nods at this and sighs.

“That’s not all…” she whispers. “I was also the Winter Soldier’s… I was James’…”

She clutched her head and grimaced in pain. Bruce, who was the one nearest to her, quickly gave her his seat. After a few seconds, Lucy relaxed and she sighed in relief.

“Are you ok?” Pietro asks her as Bruce handed her a glass of water.

“It happens,” Lucy tells him. “The headaches happen when my mind glitches. I’m fine.”

“You talk like you’re a computer.” Tony points out.

“Because my mind practically is,” Lucy explains. “My brain is my hard drive and my powers the way I get information to store.”

“You must have like thousands of memories in your brain.” Wanda pipes in startled. “How can you even function?”

“I don’t… or well I didn’t use to.” Lucy sighs out. She takes another shaky breath before going through another explanation. “The way Hydra cleared my hard drive was by frying it.”

“They wiped you.” Bucky states. “They wiped you like they did to me.”

“They fried my brain until it couldn’t sustain my body anymore.” Lucy explains. “I then rose from the dead, mind clear, and was prepped for my next mission or for cryo.”

“So what do you remember?” Clint asks this time.

“Him,” Lucy answers looking up at Steve. “I remember you.”

“What?” Steve asks confused.

“My memories…” Bucky whispers softly. “My memories, you have them.”

“I have some of them,” Lucy tells him. “Not all of them.”

“Can you give them back?” Bucky asks her in which she nods. Bucky immediately kneels in front of her. “Then do it.”

Lucy doesn’t hesitate to reach for his neck but her hands falter as she grimaces once more. She clutches her head again and groans.

“Oh God…” she mumbles. “Things are still…ah… things are still settling. I can’t…I can’t…”

Bucky reaches for her hands and pulls them down. His face was one of concern as she still grimaced at the things in her mind.

“What other memories do you have in there?” Bucky asks her.

“Confusing,” she whispers. “So many… none of it makes sense. I don’t know why I would remember some of this stuff.”

“Probably because it resonates something with you,” Bruce pipes in. “I don’t have a PhD in psychology, but I’m sure the memories you’ve managed to remember are ones that your subconscious wants you to keep.”

“He’s right.” Sam adds in. “Once you get another physical check-up done you should come talk to me. I can try to help you sort through this.”

Lucy just frowned at this. Some of these memories, the unrecognizable faces didn’t make sense to her. How could these strangers be like her?

“Doll?” Bucky calls out to her. “You ok?”

“Hmm…yeah, yeah I’m fine.” Lucy responds, her headache fading away. “I just… There’s this church I remember… a very pretty church.”

"And?" Bucky asks her.

"I think Hydra operated in it," Lucy tells him. "I think that's where I started."

*************

Dr. Banner's brain scans just showed that her brain had more activity than before. As for Sam, Lucy didn't really dive into the memories that she had. Her brain was still calibrating into holding the ones she now received. Sam did offer her a notebook, suggesting that she should write her memories down and they could work through them in another session. Lucy promised him she would do just that before running out of the room.

The day had been draining for her and she just wanted to go back to bed. It didn't help either that the Avengers were breathing down her neck in hopes that in her dreams she'll find the location of this church Hydra was operating in. Lucy didn't know if it still existed.

"I see that you got gifted with the notebook too."

Lucy turns around to find James behind her. His hair was tucked in a ponytail and his skin was glistening with light sweat. She looked down at her notebook and simply nodded.

"Can't wait to write all my little dirty secrets in this," she sarcastically states as she holds the notebook into her chest. "That's if I have any."

"You don't remember anything else about yourself?"

"Besides my name, the church, and the torture induced... nothing." Lucy sighs out. "I wonder if there's anything left of mine in here or if it's just other people's memory I'm stuck with."

"I'm sure you're strong enough to have stored your own memories in there." Bucky assures her. "If I can remember, then so can you."

Lucy smiles at this faintly and takes a deep breath.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked yet."

"Asked what?" Bucky asks her.

"Asked me why I have your memories in my mind." Lucy answers in which Bucky sighs, ignoring her gaze. "Don't you want to know?"

"Of course I do, but I don't want to stress you more."

"The answer is simple, James." Lucy tells him. "I was in Hydra's clutches before you were. I was there when they brought you in."

"What?" Bucky asks confused.

"They didn't want you to completely lose yourself so they used me as a back-up." Lucy explained to him. "They told me to only use defining memories. In case you became defiant, I could use these defining memories to put you in ease."

"They had their own leverage against me." Bucky realizes.

"Pretty much," Lucy answers. "I wonder what they had on me."

They both trailed off into their own worlds, trying to remember their darkest times instead of running away from them. Lucy stops as her head aches once more.

"Are you ok?" Bucky asks, immediately coming to her aid. "Do you need to sit down?"

"No, I'm fine." Lucy answers as she looks up at him. "They're becoming shorter. I think my mind is finally settling."

"Was it something worth remembering?" Bucky asks her.

"I'm not sure," Lucy answers as she frowns slightly. "I don't know why it matters."

"What did you see?"

"A baby," Lucy tells him. "A crying baby... at the steps of the church."


	11. Fighting Back

        As they requested, Lucy found herself in the ring facing the well trained Black Widow. Bucky didn't really like the sight at all. He didn't agree that Lucy should face off with the most trained combat agent in SHIELD and in the Avengers itself. Though he argued against it, everyone else voted that this had to be done. Lucy herself also claimed she was ready to be evaluated this way. 

        Natasha and Lucy circled around the mat. Natasha read her body language, trying to catch her weak spots and her strengths. She seemed to favor her left but it was just a ruse to hide the strength of her right. Lucy seemed to press more on the top of her toes to silent her steps which seemed unnecessary with an open attack situation. Either way, Natasha read Lucy and Lucy did the same.

        They circle each other one more time, watching for the other to make the first move, and time seems to go by so slowly.

        "Someone make a move already," Clint calls out on the sidelines.

        Hearing this, Natasha goes ahead and sends a kick. Lucy is quick to duck it, but slow to send an attack on her own. Natasha is quickly on her, cornering Lucy with sharp punches and kick spins. Lucy is just blocking them and isn't making a move on sending an attack on her own. Bucky wondered why she was taking all of this and it wasn't until he looked into her eyes that he realized she was waiting for something.

        Natasha sends a high kick, ready to do her signature move of swinging her legs over her opponent's neck and inhibiting them, but is stopped as Lucy grabs her kick mid-air. Lucy then pulls Natasha's leg forward and plants her hand on Natasha's neck. Lucy's eyes turned ghostly white and Natasha gasps as Lucy intrudes her mind. 

        Everyone acts fast at the sight of this, Steve and Clint pull Natasha away from Lucy's strong hold while Bucky catches Lucy before she falls to the ground. Clint lightly slaps Natasha's face in order for her to snap out of whatever haze she was in. Bucky looks down at Lucy to find her eyes slowly turning back to their usual brown. They both gasp at the same time. 

        "What the hell was that?" Steve shouts at Lucy. 

        Lucy cowers away from his shout and Bucky immediately shields her away from Steve. 

        "She did nothing Steve," Natasha adds in as Clint helps her to her feet. "I'm fine." 

        Steve narrowed his eyes at Natasha and looked over at Lucy with suspicion. 

        "What did you do?" 

        "I looked into her mind," Lucy answers quietly. "I learned what she learned." 

        Natasha rubs the back of her neck nervously and looks up at Steve. 

        "She copied my combat memories and took them as her own," Natasha explains to him. "What I can do, she can do too." 

        Steve looks at Lucy with an unreadable expression before turning back to Natasha and Clint. 

        "Take her to Banner," Steve orders. "Make sure she's really alright." 

        Natasha rolls her eyes at his command knowing that nothing had been tampered with. Following Steve's order, Clint helps Natasha out of the gym and they both head to the upper levels where Bruce worked in. 

        Steve and Bucky turn to Lucy who was rubbing her hand anxiously at their stares.

        "I thought it'll be ok..." she whispers to James.

        "You said you could hold your own." Bucky replies as he looks down at her a bit disappointed. 

        "I can," Lucy tells him. "But I usually didn't have to for this long." 

        "What do you mean?" Steve asks her. 

        Lucy shifts nervously on her feet and her eyes flicker to James. She then turns to Steve with worry before opening her mouth to respond. 

        "When Hydra let me out the Soldier was always there with me," Lucy explains to them. "He was the one who kept me safe when trouble arose in a mission."

        Bucky turns to her with surprise.

        "You mean... we worked together?" Bucky asks her.

        "For a few missions and then it all stopped." Lucy tells him her face turning into a scowl as she tried to remember more details. "The memories are all jumbled together. I can't remember the details clearly." 

        "How come this is the first time we're hearing about this?" Steve asks Lucy. 

        "I wrote it down on my notebook," Lucy explains as she goes over to sports bag and pulls out the journal. She holds it up to the both of them. "I have a meeting with Sam later today. I was going to talk about it then."

        Steve was about to grab the journal from her hand and read over it himself when Bucky stopped him from doing so. He turns to Lucy, a bit frustrated from the withholding of this information that involved him. 

        "Lucy, you got to tell me when you remember stuff about me." Bucky tells her. "I need to know." 

        "And so do I," Steve adds in. 

        Lucy looked at both of them and nodded. 

        "I'm sorry," Lucy whispers. "I didn't know..." 

        Steve sighs at this while Bucky just offers her a smile. 

        "We're done for the day," Steve tells them. "We'll resume training tomorrow morning." 

        Steve grabs his bag and heads out of the gym. Bucky was following after him until Lucy called his name. She ran up to catch up to him. 

        "What you said earlier... about telling you my memories of you," Lucy tells him as she readjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "I was wondering if you could do the same for me." 

        Bucky was surprised by the request but knew that it made sense. 

        "Yeah," Bucky answers. "You'll be the first to know if I remember something." 

        "Thanks," Lucy says.

        Bucky looks down at her and was about to ask her to have lunch with him before he felt a sudden breeze pass by his side.

        "Pietro!" Lucy exclaims gleefully as she sees the silver haired runner a few feet ahead of them. She laughs lightly as Pietro bowed down at her. 

        "I ordered lunch for us," Pietro tells her as he extends his arm for her to take. "Italian, just as you requested." 

        "Thank you," Lucy says with a smile as she takes his arm. They both start to make their way down to the commons and Bucky is left to watch them walk away. Lucy turns back to him as they round the corner and waves him goodbye before disappearing. 

        For some reason, one that he couldn't explain, Bucky felt disconnected.

* * *

         _She was laughing at him. The Soldier couldn't recall what he had said to make that beautiful sound escape her lips but she was laughing. She ran away from him every time he tried to reach for her, escaping his grasp by a mere second. She would laugh again and run further down the hall. Her dress was a midnight black, flapping around her as she ran further and further down the hall._

 _**"You are so slow, soldier,**_ **"** _her voice taunted him_.                                  

 ** _"If I catch you, then the game is over,"_**   _the Soldier said smiling at her._

 _**"Perhaps,"**_   _she answered. **"But if you catch me, you'll win a prize."**_

         ** _"And what will that prize be?"_**

        _**"Whatever you want it to be,"** she giggles out, continuing to escape his grasp once more. _

        _The Soldier looked around the deserted hallways. Their current station being an old one, all of the security cameras were inactive._

_**"We shouldn't be out here too long,"** the Soldier warned her. **"They'll punish us for it."**_

_The smile that once graced her face slowly fades away. He hated himself for being the voice of reason in the situation, but for the safety of them both, he had too._

**_"Just a few more minutes more, please?"_** _she asked him quietly. **"We never see each other anymore... not that I remember anyways.**_ _ **"**_

_The Soldier couldn't help but give in to her whims. She was right. They never paired them up anymore and if they did, it was wiped out of him._

_She smiled at him, illuminating the room once more. He began to go after her and she continued to slip through his hold. They made it out onto the balcony in which the Soldier was finally able to corner her between the railing and himself._  

_**"I got you, beautiful."** the Soldier states as she just looked for a way to slip from his hold. **"Now where's my prize?"**_

_She looked up at him with such joy before looking behind her. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes before she pressed a kiss on his cheek and turned away from him._

**_"Would you like to know a secret?_ ** _**"** she asked him.                                    _

_The Soldier was confused at her question. What possible secret could she have that he already didn't know?_

_She turned back to face him with a very crazed smile. She let go of his arms and pulled herself over the railing. Before the Soldier could make sense of what she was doing, she flung herself back. The Soldier immediately ran to the ledge, his heart in his throat, waiting for her body to hit the floor._

* * *

        Bucky searched for her through the whole building. She wasn't in her room and not in the commons like the others. Sam had said that their session was scheduled for later. Even Pietro hadn't seen her this morning. Bucky was walking through the hallway with possibilities of where she could be when he catches sight of her in the gym. He had never expected to find her there this late in the day and it wasn't until he came in that he realized why. 

        Bruce and Tony were watching from the second level with computers and screens surrounding. Lucy was downstairs out on the sparring mat with Steve and Natasha. There were electrodes on her forehead and chest which Bucky assumed was meant to measure her heart rate and brain activity. 

        Without warning, the sparring started with Lucy being the first to attack. Steve was doing well in blocking until Lucy kicked his open right side. As Steve kneeled over in pain, Lucy took advantage and swung both her legs over his neck and spinned down. In a matter of seconds, Steve's body slams into the ground and Natasha cheers at the sight of her spin move done perfectly. 

        "That's what I'm talking about," Natasha exclaims as she claps Lucy on. 

        Lucy lightly smiles as she looks down at Steve with an apologetic look. 

        "Sorry about that," she apologizes to him. 

        "You did what you had to do," Steve groans out as he gets off the floor. They both then look up at the second level were Tony and Bruce were typing rapidly into the monitors. 

        "Did you get what you needed?" Lucy calls out to them.         

        "Yup," Tony answers as he offers them a thumbs up. 

        "The neurons in your brain exploded with activity everywhere," Bruce shouts out to her in intellectual excitement. "Not only that, but it seems your power is able to reflect muscle memory that isn't even yours. This extends beyond just stealing memories, but stealing actions as well." 

        "We should call Clint down," Steve states. "See if this theory of yours is true." 

        While Tony instructs Jarvis to do as the Captain had said, Bucky makes his way into the gym and clears his throat at all of them. Lucy turns to him instantly and smiles at him. She runs up to meet him. 

        "Did you see what I just did?" she asks him excitedly. "I was able to take down Steve with what I learned from Natasha yesterday. I can't believe I just did that!" 

        Bucky nods at her and picks at the electrode that was sticking out of her forehead.

        "I didn't know all of you were testing your powers out," Bucky says. "I'll liked to be warned." 

        Lucy's smile falters at his disapproving tone. 

        "Oh well... it kinda happened really fast." Lucy explains to him. "Once Bruce found out about what I did to Natasha, he and Tony started talking and they came up with this experiment. I didn't even know I was going to be doing this today." 

        Bucky crosses his arms and was about to tell her it was fine but is interrupted by Steve walking over to him. 

        "Hey Buck," Steve greets him as he walks past them and grabs a water bottle that was nearby. Bucky nods at him before turning to Lucy remembering the urgent thing he had to tell her.

        "I remembered something in my dream last night," Bucky tells her. "I've dreamt about this memory before, but I never told you about it. I actually haven't told anybody about it..." 

        "What is it?" Lucy asks him interested. 

        "We were out on some balcony," Bucky tells her. "It must have been after some mission because we weren't back at headquarters and we were able to easily escape our rooms." 

        Bucky pauses as he recalled the game they played and the kiss Lucy placed on his cheek. 

        "I chased you out onto the balcony... you kissed me." 

        Lucy begins to blush at this and Bucky nervously scratches the back of his neck. 

        "It was on the cheek. It was nothing," Bucky brushes off. "The thing is, you told me you had a secret, and then you threw yourself off the balcony and I don't see your body hit the ground. The memory ends there."

        Bucky looks down at Lucy who seems to have paled dramatically. She swallows nervously and looks away from Bucky.

        "Hey Luce," Tony calls out from above. "You ok there, kiddo? Your heart is beating like crazy."  

        "I'm fine," Lucy responds before turning back to Bucky. She gives him a faint smile as she takes a step back from him.

        "Something tells me you remember what I'm talking about," Bucky states.

        "I don't remember the memory, but I do remember the secret." Lucy whispers. She looks up and meets Bucky's eyes. He sees that whatever the secret she's holding from him wasn't the one he had assumed before.

        "Lucy..." Bucky calls out, but is interrupted as Clint makes his way in with a bow and arrow.

        "I have to go," Lucy quietly says as she turns her back on him and makes her way to the other side of the gym. Bucky watches as they talk for a while before Lucy does as instructed. She takes a copy of Clint's memory before taking over the bow from his hands. In a matter of seconds, Lucy sends three arrows out onto the target that's fifteen feet away. Each one of them was a bullseye.


End file.
